Some of the Air Force’s commonly used unmanned aircraft, such as the MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk, are technologically advanced and costly, primarily suitable for operations in less contested airspace. Furthermore, they require regular inspections and maintenance to ensure mission readiness.<<<READ FULL ARTICLE>>>
This is where XQ-58A flies in…
This unmanned aircraft showcases remarkable performance and human-machine teaming is now more effective than ever before as this unmanned combat aircraft conducts test flights alongside manned fighter aircraft.
The X-47B is a revolutionary unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) that was developed as part of the US Navy’s Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program. This program aimed to develop a new generation of autonomous unmanned aircraft that could perform a variety of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike operations.
The X-47B was developed by Northrop Grumman, and it was designed to be a stealthy, tailless aircraft that could operate autonomously or be remotely piloted. Though development costs were quite significant (reaching nearly $1.5 billion by 2015- that is almost $2 billion on 2024) the program meshed well with evolving Navy requirements.The X-47B was unique in that it was the first UCAV to be developed specifically for use by the US Navy, and it was designed to operate from aircraft carriers.
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, previously known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS) and the Loyal Wingman project, is a stealth, multirole, unmanned aerial vehicle.
The jet-powered drone is designed to work together with other RAAF combat aircraft, including the F-35A, F/A-18F, and E-7A in both defence and surveillance modes.
This aircraft is a pathfinder for the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to create smart human-machine teams.
It is the result of an exciting collaboration between Air Force and Boeing Australia.
The viability of the loyal-wingman concept depends fundamentally on providing an adequate level of autonomy.
BAE Systems is deeply involved in this aspect of the project, working on the navigation, guidance and flight-control systems.
As for flight performance, the Ghost Bat’s cruise speed must be near the speed of sound for the drones to keep up with fighters flying to and from their mission stations.
This makes the Ghost Bat much faster than drones designed for long missions, such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk, which can stay aloft for 34 hours.<<READ FULL ARTICLE>>>
