BAE Systems
UK's largest defence contractor; 7-9% 2026 growth guided, drones named as growth priority.
On 22 July, BAE Systems unveiled Brontanax at Farnborough, positioning its first sovereign combat drone alongside Typhoon through the StormFighter programme.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 5 active topics
Will BAE's Herne XLAUV secure a place in the AUKUS subsea programme?
Timeline for BAE Systems
Mentioned in: UK awards Tekever up to £400m for AR5
Drones: Industry & DefenceSigned an MoU with TUALCOM on autonomous-platform communications
Drones: Industry & Defence: Passive radar aims a Skynex batteryUnveiled Brontanax, Britain's first sovereign combat drone
Drones: Industry & Defence: Britain unveils its first sovereign combat droneMentioned in: A £6.68m trial holds the subsea money
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaMentioned in: DroneShield sensor joins US kill chain
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
BAE Systems is the United Kingdom’s largest defence contractor, supplying combat aircraft, naval systems, armoured vehicles, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities. Its scale makes it a central industrial supplier to British defence programmes and an integrator of newer autonomous systems.
The company formed in 1999 through the merger of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems. It operates in the United Kingdom, the United States and other markets, combining long-cycle platforms with sensors, communications and mission systems.
BAE also owns Malloy Aeronautics, giving the group an in-house uncrewed aviation business. Malloy was identified as a BAE subsidiary on 15 April after appearing among suppliers in the United Kingdom’s Ukraine drone package. BAE’s 1 May decision to identify drones and counter-drone technology as a growth priority shows how it is extending that industrial base into autonomous systems.
BAE enters combat drone market
On 22 July, BAE Systems unveiled Brontanax at Farnborough as Britain’s first sovereign combat drone. The aircraft is intended to work with Typhoon fighters through the £300m StormFighter programme, which employed more than 500 people at the announcement.
The demonstrator gives BAE a visible route into combat drones, but no production order was announced. On 1 May, the company named drones and counter-drone technology as 2026 growth priorities while guiding 7-9% sales growth, placing autonomous systems beside its established defence businesses.
BAE enters combat drone race
What is Malloy Aeronautics and how is it connected to BAE Systems?
Reference
What does BAE Systems make?
Why did the AUKUS subsea programme choose US platforms over UK ones?
Is BAE Systems part of the AUKUS undersea drone programme?
What is the BAE Systems Herne XLAUV?
What drone ambitions did BAE Systems reveal in its May 2026 trading update?
Is BAE Systems involved in European defence despite Brexit?
How does BAE Systems compete with pure-play drone companies like Anduril?
Is BAE Systems publicly traded?
Does BAE Systems work on European sovereign defence projects?
How is BAE Systems benefiting from European rearmament?
