International
US Air Force launches new experiments with Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone
WASHINGTON The US Air Force is set to begin flight experiments with Boeings MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a combat drone developed for the Australian Air Force that could help its US counterpart learn to fly planes unmanned alongside combat aircraft.
Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, who directs Air Force Futures, told Breaking Defense in a Sept. 20 interview that the service is preparing to take delivery of a prototype drone through the Office of Research and Engineering. of the Pentagons, also known as OSD (R&E).
It might look a lot like an Australian thing, he joked, referring to the Ghost Bat, which first flew in 2021 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Woomera.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cdr. Tim Gorman confirmed that the research and engineering office is involved in development and experimentation efforts involving Ghost Bat, saying that OSD (R&E) is constantly working with the services to validate the technologies that are essential to make advancing and fielding next-generation capabilities.
He declined to give further details, except to confirm that Ghost Bat is not funded by the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER), an OSD (R&E)-led effort in which services offer experiments and compete. funding.
Boeing deferred comment on the matter to the Air Force.
Over the past few weeks, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has hinted that the Ghost Bat could be a useful tool for the US Air Force as it seeks to understand how semi-autonomous combat drones, what the service calls Collaborative Combat Aircraft, could interface with the Fifth and Sixth Services. -generation fighters. CCA and a manned sixth-generation fighter are expected to be part of the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems, and Kendall said a CCA competition could begin as early as fiscal year 2024.
During a trip to Australia in August, Kendall said he spoke with his Australian counterparts about using MQ-28 as a risk reduction mechanism. Weeks later at the defense press conference, Kendall again called out Ghost Bat as a potential test bed that could help prove how to integrate combat drones into daily fighter wing operations. , such as mission planning, combat management and sustainment.
You would incorporate these [drones] with existing aircraft in a way that sort of proves some of the tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as things like maintenance concepts and organizational structures, he said then.
The first sucks
Defining the NGAD family of systems, including the exact combination of drones a human pilot of a sixth-generation fighter jet will need to take into combat, is one of Kendall’s seven key operational imperatives that will shape the company’s budget. Air Force 24 exercise.
During the interview with Breaking Defense, Hinote reiterated that the Air Force has not made a final decision on which drones it will ultimately purchase under the CCA program, noting that the research lab Air Force, Navy and OSD (R&E) all have ongoing efforts. to test new drones.
We’re trying to learn from these prototypes to get some of the data we need, he said. This will help us understand what the real purchase looks like. And I think the real purchase is actually [a] family [of drones]and this family can be made up of several suppliers, of several architectures.
Hinote warned that the first MQ-28 Ghost Bat may not yet be mature enough to be sent into battle.
The first is zero. Always keep this in mind. The first item of anything we buy is not what we really want, he says. However, CCAs are so new that the Air Force can benefit from learning to use the system as the technology continues to evolve.
I don’t know yet how fast you can get one off the track, put gas in it, put weapons in it if that’s what you want to do, put in a new cartridge or software update, Hinote said. Even basic sustainment practices can vary between manned fighters and CCAs: should you check the oil? Every time we fly a jet right now, we squeeze that much oil out of it and we’re like, okay, are there any particles in it? …I don’t think you’re gonna do that [with a drone].
Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst at AeroDynamic Advisory, said the big question that will shape the requirements of the CCA program is: how good is artificial intelligence, in fact?
If your AI does not meet expectations, then you are considering larger Loyal Wingman planes, with a two-to-one ratio or a one-to-one ratio [to manned fighters]. If AI is moving faster, then you’re looking at smaller systems that are swarming, he said. In other words, the more reliable and advanced an AI system is, the more drones a single human pilot will be able to handle.
However, other technical and operational questions abound, Aboulafia said. How will CCAs be deployed during the conflict and how far can they stray from manned combatants? Will drones have to remain within visual range of manned fighters in order to continue transmitting data using stealth data links? Will the CCA operate within visual range of enemy aircraft?
And even if the AI is advanced enough for a fighter pilot to handle a large swarm of small drones, if the drones are so small they can’t carry currently available weapons or sensors, is that even important ?
It’s completely unwritten at this point, said Aboulafia, who added that the Air Force needs a brutally honest AI technology roadmap to help shape the CCA program.
The Air Force’s seemingly sudden interest in evaluating the MQ-28 is good news for Boeing, as the Ghost Bat was originally part of the AFRL’s Skyborg program. He was eventually forced to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts as the Ghost Bat prototypes were engaged in demonstrations with the Royal Australian Air Force and could not be transferred to the United States in time, Brig. Gen. Dale White, the air force’s fighter and advanced aircraft program director, said in August.
The Skyborg program aims to pair low-cost drones with a government-owned autonomy core for a series of flight tests. Demonstrations with General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger, and Kratos UTAP-22 Mako and XQ-58A Valkyrie are still ongoing.
Recommended
Sources 2/ https://breakingdefense.com/2022/10/us-air-force-to-start-new-experiments-with-boeings-mq-28-ghost-bat-drone/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]