Europe’s rearmament drive is increasingly being defined not by traditional images of tanks and troop deployments, but by a quieter revolution taking place in the skies above the continent. At the recent Berlin Air Show, the spotlight fell on a new generation of autonomous combat systems: so-called “wingman” aircraft designed to operate alongside manned fighter jets.

The concept, while futuristic in appearance, reflects a pragmatic response to the changing realities of modern warfare. The conflict in Ukraine has underscored the decisive role played by drones, electronic warfare and rapid information processing. European defence planners have absorbed those lessons quickly. The result is growing enthusiasm for collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), systems intended not to replace pilots but to enhance their capabilities.

These unmanned aircraft, often described as “loyal wingmen”, can carry additional sensors, electronic jamming equipment and weapons while accompanying traditional fighter aircraft into contested environments. By distributing risk and extending operational reach, they offer militaries the prospect of greater effectiveness at a time when recruiting and training pilots has become both costly and time-consuming.

The technologies showcased in Berlin suggest that Europe intends to be more than a passive consumer in this emerging market. Companies including Airbus, Helsing and a range of specialist defence firms are positioning themselves at the forefront of autonomous military aviation. The emphasis on sovereign control over artificial intelligence systems reflects a broader strategic objective: ensuring that Europe retains ownership not merely of the platforms themselves, but also of the critical software that will determine how they operate.

For policymakers in Brussels, Paris and Berlin, this represents an important shift. For decades, Europe has struggled to reconcile ambitions for strategic autonomy with dependence upon American defence technologies. While transatlantic cooperation remains essential, recent geopolitical uncertainty has sharpened the argument that Europe must strengthen its own industrial base.

Wingman aircraft may provide precisely that opportunity.

Unlike large-scale multinational projects that have frequently been delayed by competing national priorities and industrial rivalries, autonomous systems offer a comparatively agile route towards capability development. Germany and France may have encountered difficulties in their joint sixth-generation fighter ambitions, but both remain committed to developing the drone technologies and digital architectures that will underpin future air operations. The ability to salvage cooperation through these programmes should not be underestimated.

The economic implications are equally significant. Defence spending, long regarded by some European governments as politically difficult, is increasingly viewed as an investment in technological innovation, industrial resilience and highly skilled employment. Autonomous aviation requires expertise in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and data analytics — precisely the sectors that European policymakers have identified as central to future competitiveness.

Critics naturally raise ethical questions surrounding autonomous systems. Those concerns deserve careful consideration. Yet the systems currently under development remain firmly within a framework in which human operators retain ultimate decision-making authority. Rather than removing people from the chain of command, wingman aircraft are being designed to support them, reducing cognitive burden and improving situational awareness in increasingly complex battlespaces.

Perhaps most importantly, these technologies illustrate Europe’s capacity to adapt. The continent’s defence industry has often been caricatured as fragmented and slow-moving. The rapid emergence of collaborative combat aircraft suggests a more encouraging reality. Faced with a deteriorating security environment, European companies have demonstrated both ingenuity and urgency.

Wingman aircraft are not expected to enter widespread service until the latter part of this decade and into the 2030s. Yet their significance already extends beyond military doctrine. They symbolise a Europe becoming more confident in its technological capabilities and more determined to shape its own strategic destiny.

In an era defined by uncertainty, that confidence may prove to be one of Europe’s most valuable assets.

Ukraine’s Mid-Range Drones Show How Cheap Strike Systems Are Taking Over Scarce Missile Missions