Loyal Wingman

Sub-scale and Full-Scale Aerial Targets and RPAs - Remotely-Piloted Aircraft
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by neptune » 03 Sep 2017, 11:47

Skunk Works Sees Big Opportunity For ‘Attritable/expendable ’ UAVs
Aug 31, 2017 by James Drew

Lockheed's concept for an optionally reusable/expendable, low-cost unmanned combat air vehicle. The aircraft is designed to fly collaboratively with manned jets or on its own missions, with a range of more than 2,500 mi. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is continuing to invest in low-cost attritable/ expendable UAV platforms that could someday fly operations alongside manned fighters like the F-35. Despite missing out on a key demonstration program with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), won by Kratos in 2015, Lockheed sees multiple opportunities for its platforms. The company has been working over the past decade to mature autonomous flight control systems that enable cooperative teaming between unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) and manned warplanes. The company recently demonstrated this know-how through a series of “Have Raider” technology demonstrations supported by AFRL, using a surrogate F-16. The Skunk Works Low-Cost Attritable/disposable Aircraft team, led by program manager Joe Pokora, has also been designing optionally reusable/expendable airframes that would incorporate that Have Raider technology. The firm’s designs would leverage advanced manufacturing techniques and different materials to keep cost low. The Air Force set a target of under $3 million per unit. Pokora says in a written statement that the company is specifically focused on moderate to high subsonic designs powered by efficient turbofan engines. The mission range of these aircraft exceeds 2,500 mi., he adds. The company’s aircraft concepts are broadly described as “attritable/ expendable aircraft.” They are built to fly multiple times, but cheap enough to launch on one-way suicide missions, if required. Military operators wouldn’t be too concerned if one or two were shot down conducting a critical surveillance or strike mission inside hostile enemy airspace. “We have developed multiple attritable/disposable aircraft designs, and remain focused on providing an inexpensive, optionally reusable/expendable, end-to-end solution to the warfighter,” Pokora says. “We don’t believe the answer lies within a single platform, but with a team of unmanned air vehicles working alongside other air, ground and space systems in the battlespace.”

An artists rendering of one concept provided to Aviation Week shows a sleek airframe with a conventional, moderately swept wing and V-tail. The stealthy design has a single rear-mounted turbofan engine and high, shallow air intake.

[...]

Source: http://aviationweek.com/defense/skunk-w ... table-uavs


:)


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by brucealrighty » 26 Feb 2019, 17:10

Looks like Boing has progressed far enough to make an announcement. Sure.... it's the journalists talking about 'loyal wingman' but I look forward to more details!

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-02- ... fmredir=sm

"Details of the classified "Loyal Wingman" project remain scant, but the ABC believes the UAV is designed to fly up to several thousand kilometres.

Its primary purpose would be to conduct electronic warfare and reconnaissance missions, particularly in environments where it is considered risky to send manned aircraft.

On the aircraft's underside is a large payload bay that can carry a sensor or electronic warfare equipment, but industry sources said it could also be used to one day carry bombs"

20190226_215314.jpg
20190226_215314.jpg (136.5 KiB) Viewed 52993 times


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by edpop » 27 Feb 2019, 08:53

This all happened in the movie "Stealth" a few years ago with Jamie Fox and Jessica Biel etc.
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/stealth/
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by popcorn » 27 Feb 2019, 12:16

"When a fifth-generation fighter meets a fourth-generation fighter—the [latter] dies,”
CSAF Gen. Mark Welsh


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by weasel1962 » 05 May 2020, 06:45



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by Corsair1963 » 05 May 2020, 07:44

Will make a great partner for RAAF F-35A's.... :wink:


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by zhangmdev » 06 May 2020, 01:23

first Airpower Teaming System (ATS) prototype fuselage

BATS [Boeing Australia] #1.jpg


https://www.key.aero/article/boeing-com ... n-fuselage


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by Corsair1963 » 06 May 2020, 08:59

Poland is also planning to join the “Loyal Wingman” programme aimed at developing a UAV that would be operationally tied to the F-35, also in case of combat sorties. This would be done so that Poland becomes an industrial partner, similarly as in case of the F-35 programme partner nations working both to bring the benefit for own air forces, as well as any other user of the fifth generation aircraft. Acquisition of unmanned aircraft that could cooperate with the F-35 is also mentioned within the 2021-2035 Technical Modernization Plan adopted in October 2019, as a part of the “Harpy Claw” program.


https://www.defence24.com/autorzy/polan ... -heavy-uav


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by weasel1962 » 06 May 2020, 11:42

Its intended for export so yes, I can see quite a number of countries (not just F-35 operators) that could be interested in this. I do also think that there could be some varying designs for different customers.


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by weasel1962 » 25 Jul 2020, 01:41

Trump just dropped the MTCR restrictions enabling US drones to be exported. Looks like this just broaden the export potential.


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by element1loop » 08 Dec 2020, 05:43

These 3 companies will build prototypes for the Air Force’s Skyborg drone

By: Valerie Insinna 4 hours ago

The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle completed its inaugural flight March 5, 2019, at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz. (DoD)

WASHINGTON — Boeing, General Atomics and Kratos will create prototypes for the Air Force’s Skyborg program and have a mere five months to build the first test vehicles of the autonomous combat drone.

As part of the Skyborg program, the Air Force hopes to build a family of low-cost, attritable drones that can be reused, but are cheap enough that losses in combat can be financially and operationally tolerated. The project is meant to produce a family of uncrewed aerial systems that can move into contested spaces and conduct aerial missions that might be too dangerous for human pilots to perform.

The Air Force announced contract awards Dec. 7 for the three companies that will produce prototypes for the air vehicle portion of Skyborg and compete in a series of experiments in the hopes of winning a production contract.

Three companies are under contract for a two-year period of performance:

• Boeing, which received $25.7 million;

• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which received $14.3 million;

• Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., which received $37.8 million.

Military officials expect the first prototypes to be delivered no later than May 2021 for initial flight tests. The prototypes will then proceed into flight experiments beginning in July 2021 that will test each drones’ ability to team with manned aircraft, the service stated in a news release.

“This award is a major step forward for our game-changing Skyborg capability — this award supporting our operational experimentation is truly where concepts become realities,” said Brig. Gen. Dale White, head of the Air Force’s program executive office for fighters and advanced aircraft, which manages the program alongside the Air Force Research Laboratory.

One key differentiator between Skyborg and past combat drone programs is the development of artificial intelligence that will allow the aircraft to operate autonomously and potentially learn from prior training missions.

Over the past several months, the program has focused on developing the technologies necessary for the “Autonomous Core System,” the hardware and software that will enable the Skyborg drone to operate semi-independently from a human operator, who will be able to issue commands but will not have to physically fly the system. The system is being designed by Leidos, using input from the Air Force and other Skyborg vendors.

After prototypes are delivered, the Air Force will outfit them with that autonomy module. The three prototype manufacturers must also prove their aircraft is capable of incorporating payloads and mission systems being supplied by the other 10 companies on contract to potentially supply capabilities for the Skyborg program.

In July and September, the Air Force awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract worth up to $400 million to establish a pool of 13 vendors that would compete to offer Skyborg hardware and software — everything from the drones themselves, to sensors, weapons and algorithms.

Those companies include: AeroVironment Inc., Autodyne LLC, BAE System Controls Inc., Blue Force Technologies Inc., Fregata Systems Inc., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, NextGen Aeronautics Inc., Northrop Grumman, Sierra Technical Services, and Wichita State University, as well as the three companies tapped to build air vehicle prototypes.

“There will be competition throughout the entire period of performance of these awards. The effort will consist of multiple phases, meant to continue evaluation of the performance of the vendors,” the service stated.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/12 ... org-drone/




Skyborg Prototype Demos Set For July 2021

Boeing, General Atomics, and Kratos the winners for first Skyborg prototypes.

By THERESA HITCHENS

December 07, 2020 at 6:37 PM

WASHINGTON: The winners in the hard-fought Skyborg contest to develop an autonomous drone to fly in tandem with piloted aircraft in highly contested airspace are Boeing, Kratos and General Atomics.

Deliveries are due no later than May, so that a series of flight experiments can be launched in August, according to this evening’s announcement by Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLMC). The 24-month contracts were as follows: The Boeing Co., for $25.7 million; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., for $14.3 million; and Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., for $37.8 million.

“The aim of the Skyborg Vanguard program is to integrate autonomous attritable unmanned air vehicle (UAV) technology with open missions systems to enable manned-unmanned teaming,” the AFRL release explains. The prototype drones will need to be able to integrate with the “Skyborg Autonomous Core System” — i.e. the software ‘brains’ for the drone as well as demonsrating the ability to team with piloted aircraft. The core system was designed by System Design Agent Leidos.

“This award is a major step forward for our game-changing Skyborg capability—this award supporting our operational experimentation is truly where concepts become realities. We will experiment to prove out this technology and to do that we will aggressively test and fly to get this capability into the hands of our warfighters,” said Brig. Gen. Dale White, AFLMC program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft. He co-leads the Skyborg program along with Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, AFRL commander.

According to the AFLMC release, “there will be competition throughout the entire period of performance of these awards. The effort will consist of multiple phases, meant to continue evaluation of the performance of the vendors.”

The service granted the second round of exploratory Skyborg contracts to nine vendors. Those 13 vendors were awarded indefinite delivery/Indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contracts to compete for task orders within a $400 million ceiling for “technology to support a family of systems with capabilities that can range from simple algorithms to autonomous flight controls, and include functions that can accomplish defined tasks or subtasks in a mission,” an AFRL spokesperson told Breaking D at the time.

This means the losers in today’s award — which include defense behemoths Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman — still have a chance down the road of playing a role in the cutting-edge program.

Skyborg is one of three Vanguard programs identified in 2019 as part of the Air Force Science and Technology (S&T) 2030 initiative. These high priority efforts, based on AFRL development and AFLMC rapid acquisition capabilities, are designed to rush game-changing tech to the field.

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/12/sky ... july-2021/



I would have considered the "autonomy module" part to be a bit overstated until I read the article below which shows real and useful tactical autonomy break-throughs have been occurring, and came from unlikely but practical innovations by individuals, not from corporate R&D:

A Navy SEAL, a Quadcopter, and a Quest to Save Lives in Combat
ELLIOT ACKERMAN SECURITY 10.30.2020 06:00 AM

https://www.wired.com/story/shield-ai-q ... ary-drone/
Accel + Alt + VLO + DAS + MDF + Radial Distance = LIFE . . . Always choose Stealth


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by beepa » 02 Mar 2021, 05:22

Loyal Wingman had it's first flight apparently. Looking forward to some good formation shots one day. https://youtu.be/MSKNW-KAaJ0 https://www.facebook.com/AusAirForce/vi ... 4194823195
Last edited by beepa on 02 Mar 2021, 06:49, edited 1 time in total.


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by element1loop » 02 Mar 2021, 06:43

Do like the over-water paint, it's reminiscent of F-111.
Accel + Alt + VLO + DAS + MDF + Radial Distance = LIFE . . . Always choose Stealth


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by loke » 02 Mar 2021, 14:22

The first Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik (“Hunter”) attack drone should be delivered to the Russian military in 2024 after the Ministry of Defense demanded to speed up the experimental work on the upcoming unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

With the testing of the aircraft’s armament initially planned for 2024, the UCAV was supposed to enter service the following year. The deadline has now been reduced by a year. "We received an assignment from the Defense Ministry to speed up the experimental design work and maximally adjust the schedule in order to begin the deliveries already from 2024,” United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Head Yuri Slyusar said, as reported by TASS news agency.

https://www.aerotime.aero/25571-sukhoi- ... ne-in-2024

Even if this is shifted back to 2025, it's still much faster than Su-57.

What a monster BTW, estimated weight is 20 tons!


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by loke » 02 Mar 2021, 14:33

More about the Australian program:

The "Loyal Wingman", the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years, made its first flight on Saturday under the supervision of a Boeing test pilot monitoring it from a ground control station in South Australia.

Boeing's Loyal Wingman is 38 feet long (11.6 metres), has a 2,000 nautical mile (3,704 km) range and a nose that can be outfitted with various payloads. The plane can also carry weapons and act as a shield to help protect more expensive manned fighter jets.

The U.S. Air Force in December awarded multi-million dollar contracts to Boeing, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions to produce unmanned aerial prototypes that can team with crewed jets.

"The airpower teaming system is the basis for our Skyborg bid," Boeing airpower teaming programme director Shane Arnott told reporters. "Obviously the U.S. market is a big market. That is a focus for us, achieving some sort of contract or programme of record in the United States."

Defence contractors are investing increasingly in autonomous technology as militaries around the world look for cheaper and safer ways to maximise their resources.

Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, is home to Boeing's largest footprint outside the United States and has vast airspace with relatively low traffic for flight testing.

The Australian government said on Tuesday it would invest a further A$115 million ($89 million) to acquire three more Loyal Wingman aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to develop tactics for using the jets with crewed planes, on top of its initial investment of A$40 million.

"Our aim with Boeing is to understand how we can get these aircraft to team with our existing aircraft to be a force multiplier in the future," RAAF Air-Vice Marshal and head of air force capability Cath Roberts said.

Britain in January signed a GBP 30 million ($42 million) contract with the Belfast unit of Spirit AeroSystems for a similar type of pilotless aircraft to have a trial flight in the next three years.

During the test flight in Australia, the Loyal Wingman took off under its own power before flying a pre-determined route at different speeds and altitudes to verify its functionality and demonstrate the performance of the design.

Arnott said that three Loyal Wingman aircraft would be used for teaming flights this year and that the Australian government's order would take the number available to six.

Boeing has said up to 16 Loyal Wingman jets could be teamed with a crewed aircraft for missions.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/boeing-a ... 08597.html

Three loyal wingmen already this year?? And then another 3. Six prototypes should probably be enough to do some decent amount of testing.

16 loyal wingmen for each crewed aircraft, that's more than what I expected! I suspect the actual number will be lower, military equipment always have a tendency to become more expensive than planned. But even 2-4 per loyal wingman per crewed aircraft should help considerably.


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