Sikorsky and Safran Helicopter Engines signed a strategic collaboration agreement on July 22, 2026, at the Farnborough International Airshow to jointly develop power and propulsion technologies for next-generation vertical lift platforms.

Announced in a Lockheed Martin press release, the agreement builds upon a 40-year relationship between the two aerospace manufacturers. The partnership aims to accelerate design cycles, shorten proposal turnaround times, and deliver higher-performance propulsion solutions for both commercial and defense rotorcraft markets worldwide.

Deepening a four-decade propulsion partnership

The formal agreement extends a long-standing industrial relationship centered on the Sikorsky S-76 medium helicopter. Safran has delivered more than 1,230 engines for the S-76 program, accumulating nearly 10 million flight hours across the global fleet.

Cédric Goubet, President of Safran Helicopter Engines, noted the shared history between the companies and emphasized the potential for future integration.

“As the world leader in helicopter propulsion and pioneer of hybrid-electric propulsion, our products and services would provide an unrivalled competitive advantage for Sikorsky’s future helicopters,” Goubet stated.

European expansion and next-generation platforms

The propulsion agreement aligns with Sikorsky’s broader strategy to expand its industrial footprint in Europe. On July 20, 2026, Lockheed Martin confirmed that Sikorsky is actively pursuing the establishment of a Next Generation Rotorcraft (NGRC) production line in Europe to deepen its partnership with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.

Rich Benton, Vice President and General Manager of Sikorsky, framed the Safran partnership as a critical component of this international strategy. Benton stated that collaborating across the industry from the initial design phase empowers customers with faster decision-making and confidence in the final aircraft’s performance and safety.

The push for advanced propulsion coincides with Sikorsky’s ongoing development of autonomous and uncrewed platforms. Also on July 22, 2026, the manufacturer announced the completion of initial ground and flight testing for its Nomad 100 uncrewed aerial system (UAS), developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) EVADE program.

AirPro News analysis

We view the formalization of the Sikorsky and Safran partnership as a strategic positioning move for the NATO NGRC program. By aligning with a major European propulsion provider, Sikorsky strengthens its industrial base across the Atlantic, which is often a prerequisite for winning major European defense contracts. Safran’s ongoing research into hybrid-electric aviation also provides Sikorsky with a ready pathway to integrate advanced, fuel-efficient powerplants into future uncrewed and crewed vertical lift designs without bearing the entire research and development cost internally.

Sources: Lockheed Martin

BAE Systems and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) unveiled Brontanax, the nation’s first uncrewed autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), at the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2026. The five-metric-ton aircraft is designed to operate alongside crewed fighter jets, providing electronic warfare and precision strike capabilities to the fleet.

According to a BAE Systems press release, the platform serves as the manufacturers offering for the UK government’s £300 million Storm Fighter program. The initiative aims to establish the Royal Air Force (RAF) as Europe’s first sixth-generation air force by integrating uncrewed systems with existing crewed fighters like the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

The Storm Fighter program and development timeline

Development of the Brontanax platform began internally at BAE Systems in 2022. The manufacturer has invested approximately £300 million to date to fund the project. The UK government formalized its financial backing on July 1, 2026, through its Defence Investment Plan, committing an initial £300 million to the sovereign autonomous combat air initiative.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted the strategic importance of the platform during the unveiling event at Farnborough, noting the government’s intent to adopt the aircraft as an operational concept demonstrator.

“The unveiling of Brontanax, the UK’s first uncrewed autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, is a testament to the extraordinary talent and innovation across our sovereign defence industry. Built at BAE Systems in Warton by British engineers, backed by British businesses large and small, this aircraft demonstrates that the UK has the skills, the technology and the determination to lead the world in combat air power.”

The prototype is scheduled for its first power-up in the third quarter of 2026. Ground trials are slated to begin in the first half of 2027, followed by flight trials in UK airspace in the second half of the year. The RAF plans to bring the aircraft into service before 2030.

Industrial footprint and supply chain realities

The Brontanax program currently involves more than 500 BAE Systems employees and engages over 75 UK companies and small-to-medium enterprises. The aircraft was designed and built at the BAE Systems facility in Warton, Lancashire.

While marketed as a sovereign British aircraft, the initial iterations of the drone utilize a US-made Williams International engine. BAE Systems and the RAF intend to transition to a British powerplant developed by Rolls-Royce for future production models.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth, Chief of the Air Staff, stated that the RAF is working closely with the manufacturer to meet the aggressive development schedule, confirming that a prototype is expected to fly next year.

AirPro News analysis

The unveiling of Brontanax signals the United Kingdom’s formal entry into the highly competitive CCA market. We are seeing a global surge in the development of these uncrewed systems, with aerospace manufacturers including Airbus, Boeing, Anduril, and General Atomics competing for contracts across multiple allied nations.

The primary driver behind this shift is combat mass. Traditional crewed fighters are highly capable but expensive to procure and operate. A large CCA is estimated to cost approximately 25 percent of a traditional crewed fighter. By pairing uncrewed systems with crewed jets, air forces can significantly expand their tactical footprint, sensor networks, and weapons capacity without a proportional increase in procurement budgets or pilot training requirements. The transition from the Williams International engine to a Rolls-Royce powerplant will be a critical milestone to watch as the UK attempts to secure a fully sovereign supply-chain for the Storm Fighter program.

Sources: BAE Systems Press Release

GE Aerospace and Shield AI have successfully completed integration, actuation, and engine light-off testing of a multi-axis thrust-vectoring nozzle on an F110-GE-129E engine, clearing a major propulsion hurdle for the X-BAT vertical take-off and landing combat aircraft.

Announced in a July 20, 2026, press release, the testing took place at GE Aerospace’s operations site in Peebles, Ohio. The campaign represents the first fully integrated test of the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) hardware and control systems since its original development in the 1990s. The successful light-off keeps the X-BAT program on schedule for a planned first flight in late 2026.

Resurrecting thrust vectoring for vertical flight

The AVEN system pivots engine exhaust in three dimensions, providing the precise directional control required for the aircraft to balance on its tailpipe during vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) maneuvers. Originally designed in the 1990s, the AVEN program accumulated 73 hours of ground testing and 135 flight hours across 95 flights on an experimental F-16 before being shelved.

Shield AI and GE Aerospace are now adapting that legacy hardware to meet the demands of modern autonomous flight. The integration requires the nozzle to execute rapid, coordinated movement sequences driven by Shield AI’s flight control software.

“The AVEN is what makes vertical flight possible on a platform this size and this capable. We’re applying it differently than it was ever used before. Vertical flight requires fast gimbaling to maintain attitude control, a demand the original program never had to meet,” said Armor Harris, Senior Vice President of Aircraft Engineering at Shield AI.

Harris noted that utilizing hardware with a proven track record allowed the engineering teams to bypass the initial stages of clean-sheet development. The next phase of the program will focus on iterating the propulsion approach to reduce weight and increase speed for future variants.

Scaling the X-BAT for contested environments

Shield AI unveiled the X-BAT in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 2025. The aircraft is designed as a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) capable of operating independently or as a drone wingman in contested airspace. By November 5, 2025, Shield AI and GE Aerospace had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the platform’s propulsion, selecting the F110-GE-129 engine paired with the AVEN system.

The aircraft relies on Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software to conduct missions without traditional runway infrastructure. According to reporting by Tectonic Defense, the X-BAT measures 26 feet in length and features a 39-foot wingspan. Naval News estimates the platform will achieve a range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles and an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet, positioning it for both austere land bases and potential naval integration.

Amy Gowder, President and CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace, stated that pairing the company’s propulsion scaling experience with Shield AI’s vehicle development allows the program to move rapidly from concept to fielded capability.

AirPro News analysis

We view the successful light-off of the AVEN-equipped F110 as a validation of Shield AI’s strategy to integrate mature subsystems rather than developing bespoke hardware. The GE Aerospace F110 engine family has accumulated 11 million flight hours. By pairing a highly reliable, mass-produced core engine with a previously flight-tested 3D vectoring nozzle, the X-BAT program significantly reduces its technical risk profile.

The primary challenge moving forward will be software integration. While the AVEN hardware is proven, the 1990s-era actuators were not designed for the continuous, high-frequency gimbaling required to stabilize a tail-sitting VTOL aircraft in turbulent conditions. Shield AI’s Hivemind system will need to manage these actuation limits carefully to prevent mechanical fatigue while maintaining attitude control during the critical transition between vertical and forward flight.

Sources: GE Aerospace