Sierra Technical's faster, more manoeuvrable stealth UAV

[marsavian]

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing ... 92.article

Sierra Technical Services recently completed several ground tests, including an engine test run, on its Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) aircraft.

The aircraft, which is powered by two General Electric J85 engines salvaged from retired Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets, is intended to be used as a stealth target drone for the US Air Force (USAF) to shoot down.

“We ran both engines all the way to [military] power at the same time,” says Roger Hayes, president and co-owner of Sierra Technical. “We tested out our flight controls – elevons and rudders – and everything worked well.”

The unmanned air vehicle (UAV) should be ready for its first test flight during the first quarter of 2020, says Hayes.

However, because the 5GAT is inherently low-cost – estimated by Sierra Technical to be less than $10 million per production copy – and has a low-observable shape the company is also openly pitching it as an “attritable” Loyal Wingman stealth aircraft.

Attritable aircraft are a new concept in aerial warfare: UAVs so cheap that combat losses won’t break the bank. For example, the USAF’s Loyal Wingman programme is aimed at developing buddy attritable aircraft for its fleet of manned fighters, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. It could be asked to take on dangerous tasks or might operate as a robotic scout.

“It will be able to fly faster than an XQ-58 Valkyrie. It will be able to be more manoeuvrable than an XQ-58 Valkyrie as well,” says Hayes. “We believe that it has a high potential of solving some of the Loyal Wingman requirements, once they’re defined [by the US Air Force].”

In particular, the 5GAT’s two J85 engines give it the ability to fly high-subsonic speeds.

“We’re going to limit it to high-subsonic,” says Hayes. “It would probably go supersonic without much trouble, but none of the structure was analysed or designed for supersonic [flight], nor were the inlet lips.”

The 5GAT was commissioned as a stealth target aircraft by the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), and supersonic flight was not part of its mission requirements, explains Hayes. It is designed to be a disposable stealth aircraft for mock air combat, and a sparring partner that helps combat pilots learn how to shoot down stealth aircraft, such as Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 or China’s Chengdu J-20.

In addition to being stealthy, Hayes says the aircraft can manoeuvre at +7.5g and -2g for short periods.

“However, it cannot sustain +7.5g or -2g. The aircraft will bleed off energy very quickly due to limitation of the thrust from these engines,” says Hayes. “We can make 7.5g turns, but not sustain them for very long – that is basically a typical operational scenario.”

The 5GAT can carry weapons on external pylons, though it doesn’t have provisions for an internal weapons bay, a capability that would require a substantial redesign.

“But, we can carry all kinds of electronics, artificial intelligence gear, [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] equipment,” says Hayes.

[zero-one]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/s ... winds-down

The U.S. Air Force is looking to finally make real progress on acquiring a new aerial target drone that can act as a surrogate for stealthy fifth and near-fifth generation fighter jets operated by potential adversaries, such as China's J-20 and Russia's Su-57......

Destructible targets shall be capable of performing a turn with an onset rate of 3G/sec for 3 seconds that results in a turn rate of at least 16.9 deg/sec @ 0.9M & 15,000 ft., and 15 deg/sec @ 0.9M & 30,000 ft," the RFI notes in terms of desired maneuverability.

1. 3G/second is a bit slow as it'll take more than 2.5 seconds to reach the 7.5G limit. I remember Sprts saying that, most fighters reach their 9G limit within 1 second.

2. If this is supposed to mimic Su-57 and J-20, then is that the expected performance of those aircraft.