Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?

During WW2, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) formed a plan to counter a Nazi invasion by arming transport and training aircraft to fight them on the beaches. This plan, known as Operation Banquet, was never implemented, but introduced a key concept of repurposing non-frontline platforms to generate mass in a time of necessity.

Fast-forward to July 2025 and Conservative MP Mark Pritchard asked the then-UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey: “What thought has been given to the use of the RAF’s Tucano aircraft, which I think are now out of service? I wonder where they are. Could they be redeployed? Could a variant of the Grob turboprop trainer perhaps be provided? These slow-flying aircraft could interdict Shahed drones, for example, and they are low-cost and low-maintenance.” In response, an assurance was given that the matter would be examined.

In the Russia-Ukraine war, the Ukrainian Air Force has been using Yak-52 propeller planes to hunt drones over its airspace. With the low speed of the trainer aircraft closely matching the performance of their prey, they make ideal hunters of cheap uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have proliferated as a threat over the course of the conflict.

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Shephard’s Edward Hunt, meanwhile, has written about the continued relevance of the US Air Force’s A-10 in the Strait of Hormuz with its relatively low speed and high serviceability bringing it to the fore of operations once more, as drone deployment in the Iran War has again highlighted the need for militaries to reconsider how they generate sufficient counter-UAS (CUAS) capacity at scale.

These examples sound a lot like Operation Banquet, but modernised to counter massed-drone attack. As CUAS contingency plans are being made around the world, schemes such as these could therefore bring opportunities for defence contractors. 

The requirements for equipment to support such initiatives would be different to those supplied to units specifically tasked with countering drones. Ease of use, safety for users and civilians, cost and ease of integration onto a variety of platforms would all be important.

In the Persian Gulf, Iran’s “horizontal escalation” – the expansion of conflict across multiple targets and countries – has highlighted the vulnerability of sprawling hydrocarbon infrastructure and shipping to low and slow drones.

In response, western and Gulf states have assembled a broad spectrum of capabilities including deploying the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) air-to-air system on the RAF’s Typhoon aircraft in very little time.

Equipping training aircraft for CUAS missions

Could such a solution be extended to training aircraft? Jet trainer aircraft could be a natural fit because they are already operated by many NATO air forces and their crews are readily available, while several precision-guided weapons have already been integrated onto similar light attack aircraft. Drawing on data from Shephard’s equipment entries, the table below illustrates three systems which could equip such aircraft.

One problem in such a scenario is command and control; ensuring that engagements only take place in areas with minimal risk to other air traffic and to those on the ground, particularly in circumstances of acute national need, confusion and with little time to prepare. Putting certain areas Out Of Bounds to aircraft and vessels at certain times through the established NOTAMs and Notices to Mariners systems would give the military a more certain operating environment. Advanced targeting pods could also help to reduce the potential for misidentification.

Applications for maritime threats

Aside from the airborne threat, countering uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) is another key consideration. Recent combat in the Black Sea would suggest that these platforms are a significant threat to established navies.

One major advantage of using training aircraft in a counter-USV (CUSV) scenario is that they have relatively high bubble-canopies with good fields of view and are relatively slow-flying and stable, meaning they may be effective at surveying large areas of sea and coast. The main challenge lies in discerning targets from innocent seagoers and then targeting hostile USVs.

Again, the A-10’s renaissance in the Gulf demonstrates that some of these attributes are relevant in a time of glass cockpits and helmet-mounted displays.

Weapon systems market opening up

More systems are becoming available to offer aircraft this ability, led by BAE Systems’ APKWS, which can be fitted to more than 20 aircraft including the A-29 Super Tucano and can be produced at a rate of 25,000 per year, according to the manufacturer.

Despite being positioned as the current market leader, APKWS does have some competitors as well as numerous rivals in development, representing growing demand for low-cost precision weapons.

In comparing the three candidates for equipping training aircraft, the APKWS has a head-start in integration and a proven track record, although the AGM-176’s ability to equip surface assets may make it more flexible. DAGR, meanwhile, is newer and may have more development potential.

As can be seen from the table above, in a maximalist order scenario large quantities of ordnance will be required. One option would be to use a centralised ordering process using NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency to increase useability at the point of greatest need.

In the event of major combat in NATO’s east, training aircraft may be considered as a contingency measure to protect the capitals of Western Europe. This could create potential opportunities for defence companies across multiple market segments, from lightweight precision weapons to targeting systems and aircraft integration, and many are already responding with modern, effective and cost-effective weapons.

Shephard’s Farnborough International Airshow coverage is sponsored by MBDA

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

WGU-59 APKWS

DAGR

AGM-176 Griffin