UK Conducts Experimental Flights Linking Eurofighter Typhoon With Drones For Future Air Combat Vision
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On September 17, 2025, at BAE Systems’ Warton site in Lancashire, synthetic trials brought together representations of the Eurofighter Typhoon and an array of drones, including QinetiQ’s Banshee family and the Malloy T-150, to explore advanced crewed-uncrewed teaming concepts, as reported by BAE Systems. The demonstration validated interoperability, autonomy, and human-machine interfaces while showcasing two previously unseen unmanned platforms positioned next to a Typhoon. This event highlights how uncrewed systems could expand combat mass and perform high-risk missions, making it highly relevant in the context of future airpower debates.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The key message is clear: Project HERA demonstrates that crewed-uncrewed teaming has moved from concept to structured validation, with BAE Systems and QinetiQ at the center of this transition (Picture source: BAE Systems)
BAE Systems and QinetiQ used the simulation to assess how Typhoon could coordinate with uncrewed systems in real missions. The trials tested datalink integration, including simulated Link 16, goal-based autonomy, and connectivity across multiple systems. They form part of Project HERA, a collaboration between the two companies initiated in 2023 to accelerate the development of crewed-uncrewed teaming (C-U-T) and create architectures for future autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs). Attended by representatives of the UK Ministry of Defence, the exercise marked a step toward live trials once further discussions with customers are concluded.
Imagery released alongside the announcement revealed two distinct drone types placed next to the Typhoon: the PROVO2, a rotary-engine platform, and the JAVA 01, a jet-powered version. These designs align with QinetiQ’s Banshee family, which includes the rotary-powered Whirlwind and the jet-powered Banshee Jet 40+ and Jet 80+. Each configuration offers specific advantages: rotary systems deliver endurance and payload capacity at lower speeds, while jet-powered drones provide faster response, target simulation, and potential strike roles. The Malloy T-150 complements these assets by offering heavy-lift capabilities that could be repurposed for logistics, surveillance, or kinetic payload delivery.
The path to this point reflects a development history that combines simulation and live experimentation. Prior tests by BAE and its partners included firing guided munitions from uncrewed platforms such as the Malloy T-150. By starting with synthetic environments, developers can iterate on tactics and human-machine interfaces rapidly, reducing costs and risks while preparing for full-scale trials. This methodology has accelerated the conceptual maturation of crewed-uncrewed teaming within European defense.
In operational terms, combining a Typhoon with drones like PROVO2, JAVA 01, and the Malloy T-150 multiplies combat effectiveness. Crewed aircraft can remain at standoff ranges while uncrewed systems undertake dangerous or routine missions. This not only expands combat mass at lower cost but also allows forces to experiment with modular roles such as electronic warfare, communications relay, and suppression of enemy defenses. Comparisons with international developments reveal a convergence of priorities: the United States has advanced its loyal wingman programs, China is developing autonomous drone wingmen for high-volume operations, and Türkiye is integrating unmanned systems into its fifth-generation KAAN fighter ecosystem. The UK model, however, emphasizes interoperability and reuse of modular software and datalinks, offering a flexible approach suited to coalition operations.
The implications of these trials extend well beyond the technical sphere. On the military level, integrating crewed fighters with uncrewed systems has the potential to reshape air combat doctrine by enabling smaller numbers of pilots to deliver far greater battlefield effects while reducing their exposure to risk. At the geopolitical level, the program reinforces the position of the UK defense industry as a supplier of adaptable solutions for countries seeking to modernize their air forces without immediately investing in large fighter fleets. From a wider geostrategic perspective, the trials highlight the growing importance of digital sovereignty, secure datalinks, and automated decision-making doctrines, factors that will influence the global balance of power as states pursue different models of manned-unmanned collaboration.
The key message is clear: Project HERA demonstrates that crewed-uncrewed teaming has moved from concept to structured validation, with BAE Systems and QinetiQ at the center of this transition. Success will now depend not only on the performance of the platforms themselves but also on robust data governance, resilient network security, and the development of coherent tactical doctrines that ensure these systems can be employed effectively in contested environments. Nations that can align technical mastery with operational discipline and industrial capacity, as the UK defense industry is attempting through BAE Systems’ leadership, will be best placed to translate manned-unmanned integration into a sustainable strategic advantage.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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On September 17, 2025, at BAE Systems’ Warton site in Lancashire, synthetic trials brought together representations of the Eurofighter Typhoon and an array of drones, including QinetiQ’s Banshee family and the Malloy T-150, to explore advanced crewed-uncrewed teaming concepts, as reported by BAE Systems. The demonstration validated interoperability, autonomy, and human-machine interfaces while showcasing two previously unseen unmanned platforms positioned next to a Typhoon. This event highlights how uncrewed systems could expand combat mass and perform high-risk missions, making it highly relevant in the context of future airpower debates.
The key message is clear: Project HERA demonstrates that crewed-uncrewed teaming has moved from concept to structured validation, with BAE Systems and QinetiQ at the center of this transition (Picture source: BAE Systems)
BAE Systems and QinetiQ used the simulation to assess how Typhoon could coordinate with uncrewed systems in real missions. The trials tested datalink integration, including simulated Link 16, goal-based autonomy, and connectivity across multiple systems. They form part of Project HERA, a collaboration between the two companies initiated in 2023 to accelerate the development of crewed-uncrewed teaming (C-U-T) and create architectures for future autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs). Attended by representatives of the UK Ministry of Defence, the exercise marked a step toward live trials once further discussions with customers are concluded.
Imagery released alongside the announcement revealed two distinct drone types placed next to the Typhoon: the PROVO2, a rotary-engine platform, and the JAVA 01, a jet-powered version. These designs align with QinetiQ’s Banshee family, which includes the rotary-powered Whirlwind and the jet-powered Banshee Jet 40+ and Jet 80+. Each configuration offers specific advantages: rotary systems deliver endurance and payload capacity at lower speeds, while jet-powered drones provide faster response, target simulation, and potential strike roles. The Malloy T-150 complements these assets by offering heavy-lift capabilities that could be repurposed for logistics, surveillance, or kinetic payload delivery.
The path to this point reflects a development history that combines simulation and live experimentation. Prior tests by BAE and its partners included firing guided munitions from uncrewed platforms such as the Malloy T-150. By starting with synthetic environments, developers can iterate on tactics and human-machine interfaces rapidly, reducing costs and risks while preparing for full-scale trials. This methodology has accelerated the conceptual maturation of crewed-uncrewed teaming within European defense.
In operational terms, combining a Typhoon with drones like PROVO2, JAVA 01, and the Malloy T-150 multiplies combat effectiveness. Crewed aircraft can remain at standoff ranges while uncrewed systems undertake dangerous or routine missions. This not only expands combat mass at lower cost but also allows forces to experiment with modular roles such as electronic warfare, communications relay, and suppression of enemy defenses. Comparisons with international developments reveal a convergence of priorities: the United States has advanced its loyal wingman programs, China is developing autonomous drone wingmen for high-volume operations, and Türkiye is integrating unmanned systems into its fifth-generation KAAN fighter ecosystem. The UK model, however, emphasizes interoperability and reuse of modular software and datalinks, offering a flexible approach suited to coalition operations.
The implications of these trials extend well beyond the technical sphere. On the military level, integrating crewed fighters with uncrewed systems has the potential to reshape air combat doctrine by enabling smaller numbers of pilots to deliver far greater battlefield effects while reducing their exposure to risk. At the geopolitical level, the program reinforces the position of the UK defense industry as a supplier of adaptable solutions for countries seeking to modernize their air forces without immediately investing in large fighter fleets. From a wider geostrategic perspective, the trials highlight the growing importance of digital sovereignty, secure datalinks, and automated decision-making doctrines, factors that will influence the global balance of power as states pursue different models of manned-unmanned collaboration.
The key message is clear: Project HERA demonstrates that crewed-uncrewed teaming has moved from concept to structured validation, with BAE Systems and QinetiQ at the center of this transition. Success will now depend not only on the performance of the platforms themselves but also on robust data governance, resilient network security, and the development of coherent tactical doctrines that ensure these systems can be employed effectively in contested environments. Nations that can align technical mastery with operational discipline and industrial capacity, as the UK defense industry is attempting through BAE Systems’ leadership, will be best placed to translate manned-unmanned integration into a sustainable strategic advantage.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
