The Ministry of Defence intends to have a concept demonstrator of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft flying by at least 2030, with an operational capability to follow as soon as possible afterwards, according to a written parliamentary answer confirming the timetable for Britain’s autonomous fighter drone programme.
Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked by when the programme to develop UK autonomous jets referenced in the Defence Investment Plan would begin. Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard replied on 8 July:
“The programme to develop UK autonomous jets leverages years of work in autonomy and remotely piloted aircraft. The £300 million investment represents a programme to develop UK collaborative combat aircraft, working with industry and leveraging technologies and manufacturing techniques being developed by the Global Combat Air Programme. Defence aims to have a Collaborative Combat Aircraft concept demonstrator flying by at least 2030 and will seek to accelerate the delivery of an operational capability as soon as possible thereafter.”
Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sometimes called loyal wingman drones, are uncrewed jets intended to fly alongside crewed fighters, extending sensor coverage, carrying additional weapons or acting as decoys while a human pilot in a crewed aircraft retains overall control of the mission. Several allied air forces are pursuing similar concepts, including the US Air Force’s own CCA programme, and the approach is central to plans for both GCAP and other sixth-generation fighter efforts, in which manned aircraft are expected to operate with a formation of autonomous escorts rather than alone.
The answer is linked directly to GCAP, the trinational fighter programme with Italy and Japan for which a £4.6 billion second contract was awarded to prime contractor Edgewing earlier this month, with the department saying the drone programme will draw on GCAP’s technologies and manufacturing techniques rather than being developed in isolation.
If the UK were under threat, this development would get ‘wartime’ urgency; as it is, we have to wait for the default date of 2030. Yes, that magical date when all UK defence programmes are completed. Apparently, Putin is happy to wait until then to test our mettle. Remember 2030, and all will be fine.
I’m hopeful this time it’ll actually move to a real moving asset rather than a PowerPoint and some ministers headline grabber.
Only realistic way I see to give more mass for Combat Air.
How about Ghost Bat with the Australians as part of AUKUS?
Actually never mind. Our own tech to pair with GCAP makes sense. Ghost Bat to pair with F35s or Eurofighters though in the shorter term?