Charlotte Bailey joined AIN’s editorial team in 2025 as a news reporter covering multiple topics including business aviation, new technology and the defense sector. She is also a frequent presenter in AIN’s video news reports. 
UK-based Charlotte has a strong interest in vintage military jets and in 2023 published a book about the de Havilland Vampire, as well as serving as a consultant on the topic for TV and movie projects. She is keen to expand her flying experience and enjoys hands-on assignments worldwide. In 2024, Charlotte was honored as Best New Journalist in the Aerospace Media Awards. Early in her career, Charlotte was involved in manufacturing customized hot air balloons.

News Reporter 

Charlotte Bailey

GKN Aerospace has revealed its role in the design and manufacture of BAE Systems’ first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) prototype, ‘Brontanax’. <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2026-07-22/bae-unveils-brontanax-cca">Unveiled</a> at last week’s Farnborough airshow, the operational concept demonstrator is set to fly in the second half of 2027, spurred on by an evidenced capability need and what GKN described as “an accelerated timeline.”
On July 29, GKN reported it had completed the engineering, manufacturing, and full prototype integration of flight-ready wings, fins, and control surfaces for Brontanax. Flight-ready components were manufactured at GKN’s composite design and assembly facility at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Although BAE has been working on its own CCA program since 2022, Brontanax has been conceived to meet the UK’s ‘Storm Fighter’ requirement to develop and field the uncrewed adjuncts. Announced during July’s Global Air and Space Chiefs Conference, Storm Fighter also aims to have Brontanax participate in a NATO air defence exercise towards the end of 2027.
BAE Systems' head of autonomous collaborative platforms Mark Wilson described the “rapid progression from concept to prototype integration” as a remarkable achievement, and one that has been accomplished “within an extraordinarily compressed timeline.”&nbsp;

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

GKN Makes Structures For BAE's Brontanax Collaborative Combat Aircraft

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GKN Aerospace has revealed its role in the design and manufacture of BAE Systems’ first Brontanax collaborative combat aircraft prototype.

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