Summary

  • General Dynamics’ XQ-67A selected as loyal wingman drone for NGAD 6th-generation fighter jet.
  • Andruil’s Fury drone, developed by a startup, advances in the CCA program for its advanced autonomous systems.
  • Boeing’s Ghost Bat, Australia’s first domestically produced military aircraft in 50 years, planned as a loyal wingman.

While current modeling predicts that manned aircraft will maintain a place in the future of air warfare, many of the roles of manned aircraft are to be taken over by drones. Future sixth-generation fighters are conceived as a system of systems and will feature a manned fighter jet operating with advanced loyal wingman drones. Loyal wingman drones are also being developed to work alongside existing 4th and 5th-generation fighter jets.

In the US Air Force, “loyal wingman drones” are called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA); Airbus calls them “Unmanned Remote Carriers;” other countries have alternative names for the same basic concept. Here are five loyal wingman drones in development.

1

General Dynamics XQ-67A

The XQ-67A is one of two loyal wingman drones shortlisted for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program

Country:

United States

Intended users:

US Air Force

First flight:

February 28, 2024

The US Air Force has selected the General Dynamics XQ-67A to move onto the next stage of developing a loyal wingman drone for the upcoming NGAD 6th-generation fighter jet. The drone already exists as a prototype and was publicly unveiled in February 2024.

A General Atomics XQ-67 flying in the sky.

Photo: Air Force Material Command

It is still unclear exactly what the XQ-67A’s capabilities will be (e.g. if it can carry weapons). The CCA program is planned to add affordable mass to the 6th-generation fighters (they are expected to be procured in low numbers). They will increase the platform’s survivability and greatly increase its effectiveness. The XQ-67A builds on the success of the predecessor XQ-58A Valkyrie.

Related

Could The US NGAD 6th Generation Fighter Jet Be Exported?

It is not yet known if NGAD will be exported; however, the loyal wingman drones seem more likely to be exported.

2

Andruil Fury

Andruil is a startup tech company specializing in advanced drone technologies and managed to outcompete established contractors like Boeing

Country:

United States

Intended users:

US Air Force

First flight:

unknown

Andruil is a startup and newcomer to the defense contractor market. It was only founded in 2017 and is a defense tech company specializing in advanced autonomous systems. The Air Force has also selected Andruil’s Fury drone to progress to the next stage in developing advanced drones for the CCA program.

Andruil claims its Fury drone is a “high-performance, multi-mission group 5 autonomous air vehicle (AAV) enabling trusted and collaborative autonomy for the high-end fight.” Little is known about the drone. Some things that are public knowledge are that Fury was originally developed by Blue Force Technologies (before it was acquired in 2023) and that it is long-range, stealthy, subsonic, and has a 17-foot wingspan.

3

Boeing Ghost Bat

The Ghost Bat is Australia’s first domestically produced military aircraft in half a century and is planned to be an Aussie loyal wingman

Country:

Australia

Intended users:

Royal Australian Air Force

First flight:

February 2021

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is a stealthy, multirole, loyal wingman drone being developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is designed to fly as a partner with crewed Australian Air Force platforms while being enabled by artificial intelligence.

A Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat flying in the sky.

Photo: Department of Defense | Boeing

According to the RAAF, the Ghost Bat “is a pathfinder for the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to create smart human-machine teams.” The Ghost Bat is the first military combat aircraft to be designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in over 50 years.

4

Airbus Wingman

The Airbus Wingman is intended to bolster the numbers and capabilities of Germany’s existing Typhoons through the 2030s

Country:

Germany

Intended users:

German & Spanish Air Forces

First flight:

TBA

Airbus is a prime contractor in developing a sixth-generation fighter jet (which is expected to include a network of manned and unmanned aircraft). The Airbus Wingman drone is a loyal wingman drone under development by Airbus and is planned to enter service in the 2030s—long before the sixth-generation fighter. A 1:1 scale mockup of the Airbus Wingman was only recently unveiled by Airbus in June 2024.

Airbus loyal wingman drone rendering

Photo: Airbus

The Airbus Wingman will work with the existing German Eurofighter Typhoon fleet (and other combat aircraft). The idea is that the Airbus Wingman will be a force multiplier, add needed mass, and keep these jets competitive until the 6th-generation fighter eventually enters service in the 2040s.

Related

5 Radically Different Types Of Military Drones

As the use of drones explodes on the battlefield changing the way war is fought, so too, are the types of drones.

5

CATS Warrior

The CATS Warrior is India’s loyal wingman drone under development and underscores India’s efforts in developing its own domestic defense industry

Country:

India

Intended users:

Indian Air Force, Indian Navy

First flight:

TBA

Various other nations (including the British, Chinese, Russians, and Japanese) are known to be working on loyal wingman-type drones. In 2021, India unveiled a full-scale mockup of its CATS Warrior loyal wingman drone under development for the first time. The Indian CATS Warrior is part of the HAL Combat Air Teaming System program.

Mockup of HAL Warrior drone

The drone is being developed so that it can be operated by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy (where it can operate off India’s aircraft carriers). The larger Air Force variant is likely to be carried up by a mothership. The drone will act as a force multiplier and perform missions like scouting, attacking targets, and (if necessary) sacrificing itself to absorb enemy fire.

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