Raytheon unveils sovereign, digitally engineered precision weapon Red Kite

Raytheon UK, part of RTX's Raytheon business, introduced Red Kite^®, its first sovereign precision weapon fully designed and digitally engineered in the United Kingdom.

Developed with a consortium of British defence partners, Red Kite is an affordable, highly deployable precision weapon that advances the UK's ability to rapidly scale critical stockpiles. Using advanced digital modelling technologies, the effector quickly moved from concept to prototype.

Airframe Compatibility and Platform Integration
Red Kite utilizes the established Stormbreaker airframe, enabling integration across a varied range of fixed-wing air platforms. The system builds upon the manufacturer's operational history supplying guided munitions, such as the Paveway IV, to provide a cost-effective, high-volume precision weapon capability. The platform was introduced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held from July 20 to 24 in Farnborough, England.

Domestic Supply Chain and Industrial Production
Red Kite will be delivered through a nationwide UK supply chain, bringing together specialist design, engineering and manufacturing expertise from across the country. From systems electronics and software in Harlow to control actuation systems in Glenrothes, the programme will sustain high-skilled jobs, advanced manufacturing and sovereign defence capabilities across England, Scotland and Wales. Raytheon UK estimates that approximately 140 highly skilled jobs will directly support this program.

Additional Context
This section details technical specifications not included in the original news release.

The Red Kite precision weapon leverages the aerodynamic airframe architecture of the GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb. Featuring deployable wings and tail control actuators, the unpowered precision-guided glide weapon extends standoff range when released from high altitudes, allowing strike aircraft to engage targets outside defended airspace boundaries.

The structural airframe houses a guidance section designed to integrate multi-mode sensor payloads, which traditionally combine millimeter-wave radar, uncooled imaging infrared, and semi-active laser seekers. This sensor fusion enables target detection, tracking, and terminal guidance through adverse weather, smoke, and battlefield obscurants. The digital engineering framework utilizes model-based systems engineering and virtual prototyping to simulate aerodynamic flight profiles, structural load distribution, and control actuation responses prior to physical hardware fabrication.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.