A UK High Court judge has dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit brought by ejection seat manufacturer AMI Industries against British rival Martin-Baker Aircraft, ending a dispute over technology designed to protect fighter jet pilots during emergency ejections.
Legal online platform Juve Patent reported on May 11, 2026 that Judge James Mellor ruled Martin-Baker’s ejection seats did not infringe AMI’s patent. AMI Industries can still appeal the decision.
AMI Industries vs Martin-Baker
AMI Industries, part of aerospace and defense giant RTX Corporation, sued Martin-Baker in 2024 over a technology meant to protect pilots’ heads and necks during ejection. The case centered on UK patent GB 2 447 340, which covers an aircraft ejection seat with a movable headrest.
The patent addresses a problem known as “slamback.” When a pilot ejects, the rapid acceleration of the seat first pushes the head forward and downward. Almost immediately after, the force of the wind slams the head and helmet back into the headrest, which can cause serious injuries.
AMI sought to block Martin-Baker from supplying ejection seats equipped with a “Neck Protection Device” for three fighter jet programs: the Lockheed Martin F-35, the Lockheed Martin F-16, and the Korean Aerospace Industries KF-21.
How the court ruled
The dispute came down to how the patent should be interpreted.
Judge Mellor ruled that AMI’s patent covers a “variable system” in which the headrest individually tracks and follows the actual position of the pilot’s head during ejection. Martin-Baker’s system, by contrast, uses a fixed forward position rather than adjusting in real time.
Because of this distinction, the court found no infringement.
Mellor also noted that if the patent were interpreted broadly enough to cover fixed systems like Martin-Baker’s, it would be invalid due to lack of novelty or practicability. He upheld the patent in a limited version.
Two giants in a niche market
AMI Industries and Martin-Baker are among the few companies in the Western market that manufacture ejection seats for military aircraft. Martin-Baker has been a pioneer in the field since developing modern ejection seat technology after World War 2.
The case comes at a time of heightened attention on military aviation technology. In April 2026, an F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran during the US-Iran conflict. Both pilots survived by using ejection seats manufactured by Collins Aerospace, another RTX subsidiary, and were later evacuated by US special forces.
