Airbus' unmanned combat aircraft U760 Ravenstorm is on display at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Hampshire, Britain, on Monday. | REUTERS
Jul 22, 2026
FARNBOROUGH, England – Boeing flexed its muscle in the race to build autonomous fighter aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow, displaying its Ghost Bat drone, as rivals pitched competing designs for what could become a new multibillion-dollar defense market. While U.S. competitors General Atomics and Anduril Industries displayed full-scale models of their new class of uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets, Boeing showcased a working aircraft — the Ghost Bat.
The race to build autonomous uncrewed combat aircraft, one of the defense industry’s most closely watched competitions, has attracted a raft of U.S. and European companies, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Europe’s Airbus. The U.S. Air Force has said it expects aircraft in its program to cost a third, or less, of the cost of an F-35 fighter jet, which can cost $80 million or more.
Richard Aboulafia, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, said the market could eventually reach hundreds of aircraft a year, although widespread adoption may not come until the mid-2030s.
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