Spirit AeroSystems has staved off competition from two other companies to win a £30 million contract to develop and manufacture a prototype of the loyal wingman drone for the UK Royal Air Force (RAF). Northrop Grumman UK is also working on the project.
The other two loyal wingman designs that competed in the latest phase of the Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) project were by Boeing and Blue Bear Systems. The plan is to have the prototype drone flying by 2023, with the RAF inducting the mass-produced version by the end of the decade. The development program, called Project Mosquito, will will begin at the company’s branch in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The new drone will accompany RAF’s fighter jets into battle, supporting them with surveillance, air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities, while relying on artificial intelligence (AI) and commands from crewed aircraft. One of its main selling points is its low cost, which allows an air force to wield swarms of such drones, and sacrifice them if necessary. Mosquito is also said to be largely modular, being easy to upgrade and adapt to mission requirements.
“Project Mosquito is a vital element of our approach to future air combat, rapidly bringing to life design, build and test skills for next-generation combat air capabilities,” said Richard Berthon, director of the MoD’s Future Combat Air. “Autonomous loyal wingman aircraft create the opportunity to expand, diversify and rapidly upgrade combat air forces in a cost-effective way, now and in the future.”
In addition to flying alongside current Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, the loyal wingman drone will be an integral part of the Tempest program – UK’s 6th generation fighter jet that is currently under development. The Tempest partnership, which comprises BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo and MBDA, aims to have fighter aircraft in service by the 2040s.
Boeing’s design, as well as designs by Kratos and General Atomics, have been selected for further development in the Skyborg program run by the United States Air Force.
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