Last week’s Berlin airshow put a cutting-edge military technology front and center: the so-called “wingman” drone, a new class of AI-powered unmanned aircraft built to fly alongside traditional fighter jets.
The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted just how important drones and electronic warfare have become in modern combat. In response, European and American defense forces are moving quickly to develop their own AI-driven unmanned aircraft capable of carrying sensors, signal jammers, and weapons to support crewed planes.
Four major defense companies — Airbus, Boeing, Helsing, and General Atomics — gathered in Berlin to showcase their latest designs to Germany’s military and other potential customers.
These unmanned aircraft go by several names. Sometimes called wingman drones or wingman aircraft, they are formally classified as collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA. They range in size from small interceptors to aircraft comparable in size to conventional planes, and they operate in what is called a “loyal wingman” formation, flanking manned aircraft during missions.
The growing investment in this technology is unfolding against a broader debate in Europe about building a self-sufficient defense industry and reducing dependence on the United States.
Stephanie Lingemann, head of air domain at German defense startup Helsing, spoke to Reuters at the airshow about the importance of keeping control of the technology’s core intelligence. “The AI agent, of course, the brain of these systems, needs to be controlled in a sovereign fashion,” she said.
Germany and France announced this month that they have shelved a joint fighter jet program, but both countries are now exploring ways to salvage portions of the Future Combat Air System initiative by developing a related drone system and data network.
The Ukraine war has also demonstrated that disrupting an enemy’s sensors and communications can be just as decisive as direct physical attacks. Helsing says its electronic attack drone is built to operate alongside strike drones in autonomous swarms.
Boeing Australia’s Managing Director Amy List pushed back on the idea that the company’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat is simply a drone, describing it instead as an unmanned jet. She said it is designed “to enhance the capabilities, be a force multiplier for crewed platforms.” Boeing is working with German firm Rheinmetall to develop and produce the aircraft.
“It can go out ahead of crewed platforms, provide situational awareness, analyse data, it can fuse that data and provide decision-making quality information back to a human,” List told Reuters.
Despite the excitement surrounding this technology, none of these wingman systems have yet been deployed in actual combat. Boeing says its model could be in service with the German Luftwaffe as early as 2029, while Airbus says its model, the U760b Ravenstorm, won’t be ready until the 2030s.
General Atomics’ YFQ-42A is currently in testing. The U.S. Air Force selected it in 2024 as one of several technologies to receive funding and support for prototype development.
Lockheed Martin and U.S. defense technology startup Anduril are expected to show off similar technologies at upcoming airshows, including Britain’s Farnborough airshow, which opens on July 20.
