Farnborough 2026: BAE Systems unveils Blizzard stand-in jammer, details UAV progress

BAE Systems' and Lockheed Martin's Blizzard stand-in jammer, displayed at Farnborough 2026. (Janes/Tom Barton)

BAE Systems revealed progress on its stand-in jammer developed with Lockheed Martin, named Blizzard at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held from 20-24 July.

Developed in a joint-design effort between BAE Systems' Falconworks and Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks, the roughly 181 kg Blizzard is designed to be carried by and deployed from a manned or unmanned aircraft of suitable size. Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 were given as examples. Around the size of a Paveway IV guided munition, Anthony Gregory, BAE Systems' Falconworks development director told Janes during a media briefing on 20 July that studies are underway for palletised deployment of multiple Blizzards, for example from the back of an A400M transport aircraft.

Captive carry and release trials have been conducted, with Blizzard continuing to evolve, said Gregory. A full flight test is planned, with the intention to have the system production ready by the end of 2027. While it is designed for use against established stand-in jammer targets like radars and surface-to-air missile batteries, further evolution may yield use cases involving autonomous co-ordination between multiple Blizzards, or potential counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) operations.

Blizzard's rocket engine, delivering several hundred km of range, does probably make it reach further than the similar Tekever and Leonardo StormShroud stand-in jammer UAV system, said Gregory. However, he sees the two systems as complimentary, with similarly capable electronic warfare (EW) payloads and differing price points making them suitable for different missions.

Through its Falconworks unit, BAE Systems continues to develop a number of UAV concepts and systems.

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