Latest news with #GeneralAtomics
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
F-47's loyal wingmen drones ‘huge deal' for US sixth-gen air dominance programme
Full-scale models of the autonomous drones intended to serve alongside the US Air Force's sixth-generation fighter jets were on display at the Paris Air Show this week, with an official from one maker confirming their development was focused on the Indo-Pacific. Advertisement Jackson Lingane, communications manager at Anduril Industries – a major supplier of unmanned platforms to the US Air Force – said that once commissioned, its YFQ-44 known as Fury, was likely to be deployed in flashpoints that included the Taiwan Strait. '[The US Air Force] has been very transparent, it is focused on Indo-Pacific fights,' he said. 'One of the reasons Anduril Industries is here at the Paris Air Show is we think the science and shape applied in Fury also has a lot of application for European allies.' The YFQ-44 is included in the Increment 1 package of weapons for the F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet and its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones that are in development as part of the US Air Force's next-generation air dominance (NGAD) programme. At the General Atomics booth, another full-scale model was on display – of its YFQ-42A drone that is also part of the NGAD's Increment 1 programme. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
F-47's loyal wingmen drones ‘huge deal' for US 6th-gen air dominance programme
Full-scale models of the autonomous drones intended to serve alongside the US Air Force's sixth-generation fighter jets were on display at the Paris Air Show this week, with an official from one maker confirming their development was focused on the Indo-Pacific. Advertisement Jackson Lingane, communications manager at Anduril Industries – a major supplier of unmanned platforms to the US Air Force – said that once commissioned, its YFQ-44 known as Fury, was likely to be deployed in flashpoints that included the Taiwan Strait. '[The US Air Force] has been very transparent, it is focused on Indo-Pacific fights,' he said. 'One of the reasons Anduril Industries is here at the Paris Air Show is we think the science and shape applied in Fury also has a lot of application for European allies.' The YFQ-44 is included in the Increment 1 package of weapons for the F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet and its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones that are in development as part of the US Air Force's next-generation air dominance (NGAD) programme. At the General Atomics booth, another full-scale model was on display – of its YFQ-42A drone that is also part of the NGAD's Increment 1 programme. Advertisement
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Drone makers battle for air dominance with 'wingman' aircraft
PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) - Defence heavyweights and emerging military tech firms used the Paris Airshow to showcase cutting-edge drones known as "wingmen" - uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside next-generation fighter jets and reshape the future of air combat. The Paris show, the biggest aerospace and defence gathering in the world, featured a record number of drones, reflecting their rising importance after proving highly effective in the Ukraine war and as the U.S. prepares for a potential conflict with China in the Pacific. In April last year, the U.S. Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics to develop the first fleet of drone wingmen, which are designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets and are officially known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). California-based Anduril, which has already supplied small drones to Ukraine and was making its debut at the air show, displayed a model of its 17-foot Fury drone - planned for production in 2027 as part of the U.S. Air Force's CCA programme. "We're moving extremely fast," Jason Levin, Anduril's senior vice president of engineering, told Reuters. "The aircraft is very capable. We can't go into specifics here, but it performs the mission like a fighter." Levin said Anduril had raised $2.5 billion to build a 5-million-square-foot production facility in Ohio, with construction set to begin next year. In March, Anduril signed a 30-million-pound ($38 million) deal with Britain to supply its compact Altius drone to Ukraine. The drone can be launched from the ground or air and is capable of conducting strikes, serving as a decoy or for cyber warfare. Larger drones like Fury are part of the U.S. CCA programme, which aims to field around 1,000 autonomous drones capable of conducting surveillance, electronic warfare and strike operations alongside piloted fighter jets - such as Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N), opens new tab F-35 and the next-generation F-47, which Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab was tapped to build following its selection by the Air Force in March. General Atomics showed off a model of its YFQ-42A drone at the show, which is its equivalent of the Fury, with both designed for potential use in the Pacific if China invaded democratically-ruled Taiwan. Last week, Boeing demonstrated the potential of drones operating in coordination with human pilots during a groundbreaking test with the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. aerospace giant announced at the air show. In the trial, two of Boeing's Ghost Bat drones flew alongside an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, with a human operator remotely controlling the uncrewed systems to carry out a mission against an airborne target, the company said. "The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky," Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said in a statement. European defence firms are also advancing wingman drone initiatives, including Sweden's Saab ( opens new tab and a trilateral partnership between Dassault Aviation ( opens new tab, Airbus ( opens new tab, and Indra Sistemas ( opens new tab under the Future Combat Air System. The programme aims to integrate autonomous drones with manned fighter jets. Turkey's Baykar displayed two of its drone models at the show for the first time - the high-altitude, heavy lift Akinci and the TB3, which has foldable wings and can take off or land on short-runway aircraft carriers. On Monday, Baykar and Italian defence and aerospace group Leonardo ( opens new tab formally launched a joint venture for unmanned systems. Germany's Rheinmetall ( opens new tab announced at the show that it would partner with Anduril to build versions of Fury and Barracuda - a cruise missile-style drone - for European markets.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Drone makers battle for air dominance with 'wingman' aircraft
By Joe Brock PARIS (Reuters) -Defence heavyweights and emerging military tech firms used the Paris Airshow to showcase cutting-edge drones known as "wingmen" - uncrewed aircraft designed to fly alongside next-generation fighter jets and reshape the future of air combat. The Paris show, the biggest aerospace and defence gathering in the world, featured a record number of drones, reflecting their rising importance after proving highly effective in the Ukraine war and as the U.S. prepares for a potential conflict with China in the Pacific. In April last year, the U.S. Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics to develop the first fleet of drone wingmen, which are designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets and are officially known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). California-based Anduril, which has already supplied small drones to Ukraine and was making its debut at the air show, displayed a model of its 17-foot Fury drone - planned for production in 2027 as part of the U.S. Air Force's CCA programme. "We're moving extremely fast," Jason Levin, Anduril's senior vice president of engineering, told Reuters. "The aircraft is very capable. We can't go into specifics here, but it performs the mission like a fighter." Levin said Anduril had raised $2.5 billion to build a 5-million-square-foot production facility in Ohio, with construction set to begin next year. In March, Anduril signed a 30-million-pound ($38 million) deal with Britain to supply its compact Altius drone to Ukraine. The drone can be launched from the ground or air and is capable of conducting strikes, serving as a decoy or for cyber warfare. Larger drones like Fury are part of the U.S. CCA programme, which aims to field around 1,000 autonomous drones capable of conducting surveillance, electronic warfare and strike operations alongside piloted fighter jets - such as Lockheed Martin's F-35 and the next-generation F-47, which Boeing was tapped to build following its selection by the Air Force in March. General Atomics showed off a model of its YFQ-42A drone at the show, which is its equivalent of the Fury, with both designed for potential use in the Pacific if China invaded democratically-ruled Taiwan. Last week, Boeing demonstrated the potential of drones operating in coordination with human pilots during a groundbreaking test with the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. aerospace giant announced at the air show. In the trial, two of Boeing's Ghost Bat drones flew alongside an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, with a human operator remotely controlling the uncrewed systems to carry out a mission against an airborne target, the company said. "The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky," Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said in a statement. European defence firms are also advancing wingman drone initiatives, including Sweden's Saab and a trilateral partnership between Dassault Aviation, Airbus, and Indra Sistemas under the Future Combat Air System. The programme aims to integrate autonomous drones with manned fighter jets. Turkey's Baykar displayed two of its drone models at the show for the first time - the high-altitude, heavy lift Akinci and the TB3, which has foldable wings and can take off or land on short-runway aircraft carriers. On Monday, Baykar and Italian defence and aerospace group Leonardo formally launched a joint venture for unmanned systems. Germany's Rheinmetall announced at the show that it would partner with Anduril to build versions of Fury and Barracuda - a cruise missile-style drone - for European markets. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Northrop eyes Norway as it works on Tritons for Australia
Northrop Grumman is bullish on the international appeal of its MQ-4C Triton, with Norway among the potential buyers of the massive maritime drone. Why it matters: Militaries want more smart machinery, and governments want more dirt on their neighbors. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) strapped with specialty sensors can satisfy both cravings. Driving the news: Reporters on June 13 got an intimate look at Tritons housed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, home to the Naval Air Systems Command. State of play: Northrop's delivered 20 Tritons to the U.S. Navy. It's sent another three to Australia, and is building a fourth right now in Mississippi. "In the last six months, we've been able to execute 45 flights per month across all three operational orbits," said Capt. Josh Guerre, the persistent maritime unmanned aircraft systems program manager. "You really are supporting concurrent operations, 24/7." Zoom in: Triton can fly around the clock at altitudes greater than 50,000 feet, hoovering up geospatial and signals intelligence. It can also pair with Boeing-made P-8 aircraft, which hunt submarines. Brad Champion, the Triton enterprise director at Northrop, described it as picking "up all the metal on the water." The latest: Both Northrop and General Atomics responded to Norway's ask for long-range drones. "They have a very vast ocean region that they're responsible for," Champion said. "Their economic exclusion zone is very large within the High North, and they are procuring P-8s, so they are set up very well to continue to follow the U.S. Navy doctrine of that manned-unmanned teaming." Champion expects a decision this year. He referred an ask for specifics to Oslo. The other side: C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for General Atomics, told Axios the company has its MQ-9B SeaGuardian in the running.
