Software updates delivered mid-flight to Typhoon fighter jets could see battlefield threats eliminated faster than ever before.
New technology is paving the way for on-the-fly software updates to fighter jets, warships such as the Type 26 frigate and battlefield drones.
In trials driven by a partnership between BAE Systems and Microsoft unveiled on Friday, new software has been deployed in-flight to military surveillance drones, paving the way for the tech to be used on manned fighters such as the Typhoon.
BAE’s chief technical officer Julian Cracknell said rapid updates to battlefield technology were proving decisive in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“If you look at what is happening in Ukraine, they have adapted their technology really rapidly over the last year and that has served the Ukrainians really well,” said Mr Cracknell.
“Think about Typhoon, particularly the sensors on that platform,” he added.
“In the future we’d want to be able to update and adjust those as new threats develop and as new weapons systems are developed, and to do that at the pace that technology moves at.”
Traditionally, military aerospace is a slow-paced sector thanks to regulatory and safety requirements.
The Eurofighter Typhoon contains 24 million lines of software code, meaning updating it is normally a time-consuming process.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing service, normally associated with the US tech company’s internet hosting business, is being used to speed up the development of new software.
The cloud service has also helped BAE create live-updating “digital twins” of warships such as the Royal Navy’s incoming Type 26 class frigates to ease maintenance in port.
Clare Barclay, Microsoft’s UK chief executive, said: “This strategic agreement will enable defence organisations to use data more effectively. This will help them promote stability and security for residents, nations and multinational alliances.”
It comes as investment in fighter jet technology continues to grow. The Ministry of Defence said it will release another £656m of funding for the £2bn next-generation Tempest warplane programme, led in the UK by BAE Systems.
The programme kicked off with £250m of funding in 2021 as BAE and partners including Rolls-Royce prepare a prototype for flight later this decade.
The supersonic aircraft will offer next-generation radar together with the ability to control drone swarms and is expected to fly with the Royal Air Force from 2035. Tempest is expected to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in RAF service.
Italy and the UK, the two nations collaborating on the Tempest project, brought Japan on as a partner last year.
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