On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the second day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026 in the United Kingdom, Raytheon UK, part of U.S.-based Raytheon, an RTX company, unveiled the new Red Kite precision-guided bomb.
Image: Raytheon UK
According to the manufacturer, Red Kite is the first air-launched precision weapon to be designed entirely digitally in the United Kingdom and is being offered to the country’s armed forces as a fully sovereign solution.
Red Kite was developed in cooperation with a consortium of UK defense industry partners as an affordable, highly deployable precision weapon intended to enhance the United Kingdom’s ability to rapidly scale up critical munitions stockpiles. Advanced digital modeling technologies enabled the weapon to progress quickly from concept to prototype.
“Red Kite was designed with affordability and adaptability in mind, and marks a significant step forward for UK defence,” said James Gray, managing director and chief executive of Raytheon UK. “Working closely with our partners over the past five years, we’ve combined innovative design, digital engineering and proven technologies to develop a sovereign capability for the RAF faster and more efficiently than ever.”
Red Kite uses the existing airframe of the U.S.-developed GBU-53/B StormBreaker guided bomb and can be integrated with a wide range of airborne platforms. This would indicate that Red Kite belongs to the 250 lb (113 kg) weapon class, as StormBreaker weighs 204 lb (93 kg). It is worth noting that in September 2025, RTX tested a prototype ground-launched variant of the small-diameter guided bomb, designated GL StormBreaker.
It is unclear whether Red Kite will also incorporate other technologies derived from the GBU-53/B. StormBreaker is equipped with an innovative tri-mode guidance system combining imaging infrared and millimeter-wave radar. The weapon can also use semi-active laser guidance or GPS-aided inertial navigation, with targeting updates provided through a Link 16 data link, to engage targets with high precision. The bomb is capable of accurately striking moving targets in adverse weather, poor visibility, and contested environments.
StormBreaker has a total weight of 93 kg, including a 48 kg warhead, and compact dimensions of 176 cm in length and 15–18 cm in diameter. Its engagement range is between 72 km against moving targets and 110 km against stationary targets. The use of BRU-61/A multiple carriage racks allows a single aircraft to carry a significant number of bombs. An F-15E can carry 28, while an F-35 can carry 24, including eight in its internal weapons bays and 16 on underwing hardpoints.
The Red Kite program builds on Raytheon UK’s extensive experience in delivering precision-guided weapons, including the Paveway IV bomb developed under the Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 1, or SPEAR 1, program. It is intended to enable cost-effective, high-volume production while increasing the Royal Air Force’s operational flexibility. Paveway IV is a free-fall bomb equipped with a dual-mode guidance system.
“Red Kite is about getting capability to the frontline faster – reducing cost, increasing availability and meeting our customers’ needs when it matters most,” added Gray. “It represents a clear step toward a more resilient, sovereign UK defence industrial base.”
Should the United Kingdom decide to procure Red Kite bombs, they will be delivered through a nationwide supply chain drawing on specialist design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise from across the country. From systems electronics and software in Harlow to control systems and fuzes in Glenrothes, the program will sustain highly skilled jobs, advanced manufacturing, and sovereign defense capabilities across England, Scotland, and Wales. Raytheon UK estimates that approximately 140 highly skilled jobs will directly support the program.