History, United States Fighter Jets Will 'Copy' Australia

A fighter jet without a Boeing Loyal Wingman crew. (Boeing)

JAKARTA - Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co will use pilotless aircraft, such as those developed by Boeing for Australia, as the basis for the prototype of the United States Air Force's (US) Skyborg, said a Boeing executive.

The drone in question is the Loyal Wingman, the first military aircraft designed and produced in Australia in more than 50 years. The plane successfully made its first flight on Saturday, under the supervision of Boeing test pilots monitoring it from a ground control station in South Australia.

The Boeing Loyal Wingman is 38 feet (11.6 meters) long, has a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 km) and a nose that can be equipped with a wide range of payloads. The aircraft can also carry weapons and act as shields to help protect more expensive manned fighter jets.

Boeing said as many as 16 Loyal Wingman jets could cooperate with the manned aircraft for flights in one mission.

Boeing Loyal Wingman used in group air combat. (Boeing)

The United States Air Force in December awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to Boeing, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, to produce an unmanned aerial prototype that could cooperate with manned jets.

"The air power team system is the basis for our Skyborg offer," Boeing air power team program director Shane Arnott told reporters.

“Obviously the US market is a big market. That is the focus for us, achieving some kind of contract or record program in the United States. " he added.

Boeing Loyal Wingman. (Boeing)

Defense contractors are increasingly investing in unmanned technology, as militaries around the world seek cheaper and safer ways to maximize their resources.

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

The Australian government said on Tuesday it would invest $ 115 million ($ 89 million) in acquiring three more Loyal Wingman planes for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to develop tactics for using manned jets.

Boeing Loyal Wingman. (Boeing)

"Our goal with Boeing is, to understand how we can get this aircraft to work with our existing aircraft to become a force multiplier for the future," said RAAF Deputy Air Marshal and air force chief Cath Roberts.

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

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

Arnott said that three Loyal Wingman planes will be used for cooperation flights this year, so that with Australia's order there are a total of six planes.