AI Loyal Wingman Drone | Future Of Air Combat | Farnborough Airshow 2026 | Gravitas | WION News

[00:00:00]Switching gears, the Farnborough Air Show in the UK opened with defense and aircraft orders in focus as the wars in Ukraine and West Asia drove demand for stronger air defense capabilities.

[00:00:12]Defense companies made up half of a record 1,600 exhibitors at this year's show.

[00:00:20]Highlighting a shift from the commercial aviation roots of an event [music] that began way back in 1948 as a showcase basically for British aerospace [music] technology.

[00:00:33]>> It's day two of the Farnborough Air Show here in the UK. There's massive footfall taking place, well over 100,000 people in attendance. And day one concluded on a big high. They're seeing one of the highest numbers here at the air show, one of the biggest in the world. 36.2 billion pounds worth of orders that were completed. These are purchases of aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, and this includes helicopters.

[00:00:56]There were well over 200 firm aircraft orders, and those were the numbers.

[00:01:01]Along with that, nearly 450 firm engine orders which have also been placed. Now, these orders largely shape the the aerospace structure and the industry all across the world. These engines are from Leap and Pratt & Whitney. Pratt & Whitney engines are the ones which are used in the F-15s, F-16s, the F-35s, the F-22 Raptors. And F-35 is here on display as one of the headlining acts.

[00:01:24]Major presence here today as well. Lots more that will be shaping up. India has a major presence here at the Farnborough Air Show.

[00:01:33]>> And among the biggest attractions this year, next-generation [music] counter-drone technologies designed to distinguish small drones from birds in real time.

[00:01:44]A capability shaped by lessons, of course, from the battlefields of Ukraine and growing drone threats around the Gulf, including [music] Saudi Arabia and Jordan using AI-powered sensors, radar, electro-optical cameras, acoustic detection. [music] These systems are redefining air defense against the smallest and often the deadliest aerial [music] threats.

[00:02:09]>> Our uh systems have been deployed in in Ukraine.

[00:02:12]And uh we had some uh great feedbacks from the chain. We've been working closely with the uh with the people. We have a specific task force, Ukraine task force, that is actually uh talking to people on the field. And uh these people wanted the range of a radar is is is fixed. Uh this one is from 5 to 7 km. The people in the field wanted to have an extended range of 10 km. We worked with them in order to develop additional software for them to see shots coming their ways.

[00:02:41]>> Another attraction at the show is the Collaborative Combat Aircraft CCA ecosystem, where unmanned combat aircraft are basically designed [music] to team up with crewed fighter jets, extending their reach, firepower, survivability. The US Air Force is betting big on this concept. In fact, Sim also signing a key contract on the 17th of June to accelerate the program.

[00:03:06]>> [music] >> On display there was the General Atomics uh one a version, one of the front runners in America's next generation of the AI-enabled loyal wingman aircraft, offering a glimpse into the future of aerial combat.

[00:03:21]>> I'm standing in front of the future of aerial combat. This is the AF FQ-42A Dark Merlin by General Atomics.

[00:03:30]It's part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Ecosystem. These are unmanned crewed systems. They're going to be teaming up with crewed fighter jet, and they are going to be deployed in the dozens or even in the hundreds.

[00:03:44]Just 1 month ago, the US Air Force signed its first production contract for more than 150 Loyal Wingmen, that's what they're being called. And this is part of that fleet. The US Air Force will have these deployed along with their F-35 jets. And they also have the MBDA SPEAR missiles, which are also mounted on the F-35. Those are going to be mounted on the General Atomics AFQ-42A.

[00:04:09]It's already gone into production now.

[00:04:11]The contract has been signed. And in time to come, every F-35 in the US Air Force fleet will be deployed with maybe dozens or even hundreds of these unmanned vehicles. For VOA, World is One, I'm Shivam Jha.

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