FARNBOROUGH, England—Over eight decades since its first in-flight test, Martin-Baker’s ejection seats have saved more than 7,800 aviators. Now, advances in robotic and autonomous aircraft are prompting the company and its competitors to explore new avenues for growth.
“Recognizing where drones are going, we have offered our services to support drone manufacturers, both large and small,” Steve Roberts, Martin-Baker’s head of business development, told Defense One at the Farnborough International Airshow. “It could be anything—how they get launched, electronics integration, or payload destruction. Some smaller drone manufacturers lack those capabilities, and we might be able to help.”
Roberts said the company has signaled its willingness to assist, generating significant interest, though specific directions remain under wraps.
The era of manned fighter jets is far from over. Despite a wave of airshow announcements surrounding unmanned systems—from autonomous tiltrotors to multi-role platforms—next-generation programs such as GCAP, the F-47, and the F/A-XX continue to attract investment. Martin-Baker and RTX’s Collins Aerospace know that pilots flying these aircraft will still require ejection seats for the foreseeable future.
For the U.S. military, Martin-Baker supplies seats for the F-5, select F-16 blocks, the F/A-18, and the F-35, as well as the T-6, T-38, and T-45 trainers. The U.K.-based firm has cultivated a community around its product, awarding ties to pilots saved by its seats, hosting regular gatherings, and offering an exclusive watch to crash survivors.
Roberts emphasized that Martin-Baker will not abandon that heritage. Major militaries remain committed to advanced fighter jets, and those pilots will continue to rely on life-saving technology.
“At the end of the day, we’re a life-saving company—that’s the ethos,” Roberts said. “So how can we provide our life-saving technology to unmanned aircraft? We feel that in our lifetimes, unmanned may not fully take over, but partially manned aircraft will be there, and training aircraft need to deliver the pilots of the future.”
Collins Aerospace’s ACES II and ACES 5 seats equip the F-15, F-16, F-22, B-1, and B-2, saving more than 730 lives since 1978, according to a company spokesman. Like Martin-Baker, Collins maintains the “Grasshopper Club,” where ejectees tour the factory and receive a pin, patch, and coin.
“We remain committed to working with our customer to ensure pilots receive the highest level of protection when their need is greatest,” the spokesperson wrote.
Yet Collins Aerospace, alongside RTX subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon, is investing heavily in unmanned aircraft development.
In June, Collins’ Sidekick autonomy software was down-selected for the production phase of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft competition. At Farnborough, Pratt & Whitney announced a key design milestone for its Valox 1500 engine, designed to power CCAs. Raytheon, meanwhile, is integrating its Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles onto the same platforms.
“Together, these efforts underscore RTX’s commitment to delivering affordable technologies that can be produced at scale, rapidly fielded, and critical to maximizing manned-unmanned teaming,” the company spokesperson wrote.
Martin-Baker, which began as an aircraft manufacturer, aims to share its expertise with newer entrants in the unmanned warfare sector.
“We’ve got a healthy order book for many years because of these new programs coming on top,” Roberts said. “But the new market—both expensive and inexpensive unmanned systems—includes companies that don’t have the manufacturing expertise we possess.”
