A loyal wingman is a proposed type of unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and is capable of collaborating with the next generation of manned combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and bombers such as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider. Also unlike the conventional UCAV, the loyal wingman is expected to be capable of surviving on the battlefield but to be significantly lower-cost than a manned aircraft with similar capabilities. In the US, the concept is known as the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).

Characteristics

The loyal wingman is a military drone with an onboard AI control system and capability to carry and deliver a significant military weapons load. The AI system is envisaged as being significantly lighter and lower-cost than a human pilot with their associated life support systems, but to offer comparable capability in flying the aircraft and in mission execution.[1]

Some concepts are based on a standardised aircraft deployed in two variants; one as a sixth-generation fighter with a human pilot and/or battle commander in the cockpit, and the other as a loyal wingman with an AI system substituted in the same location. BAE Systems envisage the Tempest to be capable of operating in either configuration.[2]

Another concept is to develop a shorter-range, and hence smaller and cheaper, wingman to be carried by the manned parent aircraft and air-launched when needed. The drone in turn carries its own munitions. This reduces the overall cost while maintaining protection for the manned aircraft on the battlefield.

Role

The principal application is to elevate the role of human pilots to mission commanders, leaving AIs as "loyal wingmen" to operate under their tactical control as high-skill operators of relatively low-cost robotic craft.[3][4][5]

Loyal wingmen can perform other missions as well, as "a sensor, as a shooter, as a weapons carrier, as a cost reducer".[6][7]

Capabilities

A loyal wingman is expected to cost significantly less than a manned fighter, and will typically be considered vulnerable to attrition.[8] It would have sufficient intelligence and onboard defence systems to survive on the battlefield. The United States Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has described them as remotely controlled versions of targeting pods, electronic warfare pods or weapons carriers to provide additional sensors and munitions; to balance affordability and capability,[9][10]

Development history

The concept of the loyal wingman arose in the early 2000s and, since then, countries such as Australia, China, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US have been researching and developing the necessary design criteria and technologies.[1]

Australia

Boeing Australia is leading development of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat loyal wingman for the RAAF, with BAE Systems Australia providing much of the avionics.[11] The MQ-28 was first flown in 2021.

China

China has been studying the loyal wingman concept since at least 2019 and has shown off some concept airframes. However, although China already manufactures drones and has well-developed swarming technology, the planned level of autonomy or even AI for these systems are not known.[12][13]

India

The HAL CATS Warrior is an AI-enabled wingman drone under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for the proposed Combat Air Teaming System (CATS).

Japan

Japan announced a development programme for a loyal wingman drone in 2021, issuing the first round of funding in 2022.[14][15] The drone is intended to be carried for deployment by a proposed F-X fighter, also under development.[16]

Russia

Russian projects for wingman-class drones are thought to include the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik and the Kronstadt Grom. However, although Russia already manufactured drones, the planned level of autonomy or even AI for these systems are not known.[17][18]

UK

The RAF in the UK has been developing the Loyal Wingman concept since 2015, with the Spirit Mosquito technology demonstrator flying in 2020. Programme funding was cancelled in June 2022 because the Ministry of Defence felt that it was better spent on less ambitious advances.[19]

US

Main article: Collaborative combat aircraft

Collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) is the official USAF designation for an AI combat drone, and is broadly equivalent to the loyal wingman.[20]

XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned combat aerial vehicle

The USAF Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program was initiated in 2014. It includes the development of CCA.[21][22] Up to five autonomous CCAs could operate with a manned fighter.[23]

The Skyborg programme, going back at least to 2019, is developing the systems to operate wingman drones alongside advanced manned fighters. Of four contenders, the most public is the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will test their Skyborg manned-unmanned programs such as Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO),[24] and DARPA will test its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) artificial intelligence program.[6][25] The System for Autonomous Control of Simulation (SACS) software for human interface is being developed by Calspan.[25]

DARPA AlphaDogfight Trials (ADTs),[3] 20 August 2020

In 2020, DARPA AlphaDogfight predicted that AI programs that fly fighter aircraft will overmatch human pilots.[26][27]

The General Dynamics X-62 VISTA is a modified F-16 which can fly autonomously, with a test pilot to take over if necessary

Two alternative autonomous AI systems have been installed in a General Dynamics X-62 VISTA at the Air Force Test Pilot School. The two systems flew the aircraft in turn, on 9 December 2022. By 16 December 2022 the X-62 Vista had flown eight sorties using ACE, and six sorties using AACO, at a rate of two sorties per day.[24]

The General Atomics Longshot is intended to be carried for deployment by the manned aircraft, and is air-launched when needed. This allows a shorter range for the drone, while maintaining advanced protection for the manned aircraft. DARPA adopted the General Dynamics design for its Longshot programme in 2022.[28]

In 2022 Heather Penney identified five key elements for the proactive development of autonomous CCA, remote pilots of UAVs and pilots flying separately in manned aircraft (also called crewed-uncrewed teaming, or manned-unmanned teaming).[29][30]

  1. Create concepts that will maximize the strengths of both CCA and piloted aircraft working as a team.
  2. Include operators in CCA development to ensure they understand how they will perform in the battlespace.
  3. Warfighters must be able to depend on CCA autonomy.
  4. Warfighters must have assured control over CCA in highly dynamic operations.
  5. Human workloads must be manageable.

A typical CCA is estimated to cost between one-half and one-quarter as much as an $80 million F-35.[31] US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is aiming for an initial fleet of 1,000 CCAs.[32]

List of loyal wingman aircraft

Several loyal wingman aircraft are or have been under development.

Examples include:

References

  1. ^ a b Loyal wingman, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. (retrieved 5 April 2020).
  2. ^ Davies, Rob (16 July 2018). "UK unveils new Tempest fighter jet to replace Typhoon". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b Theresa Hitchens (20 August 2020) AI Slays Top F-16 Pilot In DARPA Dogfight Simulation The AI systems are eventually to serve as wingmen for human commanders.
  4. ^ "MILITARY: Boeing "loyal wingman" drone infographic". Graphic News. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  5. ^ Mallory Shelbourne (3 Jan 2023) Navy Buys 2 'Loyal Wingman' XQ-58A Valkyrie Drones for $15.5M
  6. ^ a b Lt. Col. Ryan Hefron (July 2021) Air Combat Evolution (ACE)
  7. ^ Tirpak, John (2022-08-29). "Brown: Collaborative Combat Aircraft Not Just for NGAD". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  8. ^ Ryan Finnerty. "Boeing’s autonomous fighter jet makes first appearance in USA". FlightGlobal. 2023. (retrieved 30 May 2023). '"MQ-28A is intended to be an attritable platform...' the report adds."
  9. ^ Air Force Leaders: CCA Is About Capability, Not Just Cost. Air & Space Forces Magazine. 14 December 2022.
  10. ^ CCA fighter wingmen drones won’t be ‘attritable,’ despite ‘common misconception’: General. Breaking Defense. 8 March 2023.
  11. ^ BAE Systems Australia supports Boeing’s Loyal Wingman Australian industry team, BAe Systems, 5 May 2020. (retrieved 4 April 2023)
  12. ^ Kyle Mizokami. China's Loyal Wingman Drone Flies Alongside Manned Fighters. Popular Mechanics. 1 August 31 2019. (retrieved 8 April 2023)
  13. ^ Sakshi Tiwari. Drone Dogfighting: US, China ‘Accelerate’ Work On UAVs That Can Defend Stealth Jets & Wreak Havoc On Enemy Air Force. The Eurasian Times. 12 December 2022. (retrieved 8 April 2023)
  14. ^ Koji Miyake. "Japan to develop UAV that works alongside F-X", Shephard News, 28 June 2021. (retrieved 8 Apriul 2023)
  15. ^ "Japan launches the development of its own “Loyal Wingman” drone", Meta-Defense.fr. 9 June 2022. (retrieved 8 April 2023).
  16. ^ Yomiuri Shimbun. Japan will launch its loyal wingman from F-X fighter. Alert 5. 8 June 2021. (retrieved 8 April 2023).
  17. ^ Gaston Dubois S-70 Okhotnik: news from the Russian Loyal Wingman. 14 December 2021. Aviacionline (retrirved 8 April 2023)
  18. ^ Piotr Butowski. Russia Reveals Loyal Wingman Concept. Aviation Week. 4 September 2020. (retrirved 8 April 2023)
  19. ^ "Royal Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office announce review of Project Mosquito". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  20. ^ Valius Venckunas; "USAF lays out plans for NGAD, loyal wingmen numbers", Aerotime Hub, 2023-03-08. (retrieved 5 April 2023)
  21. ^ John Tirpak (7 Mar 2023) Next gen numbers: Air Force plans ‘nominal’ buy of 200 NGAD fighters, 1,000 drone wingmen "One way to think of [collaborative combat aircraft] is as remotely controlled versions of the targeting pods, electronic warfare pods or weapons now carried under the wings of our crewed aircraft" —Frank Kendall
  22. ^ Michael Marrow (8 Mar 2023) CCA fighter wingmen drones won't be 'attritable', despite 'common misconception': General
  23. ^ Tirpak, John (2022-06-24). "Kendall Dispenses With Roper's Quick NGAD Rhythm; System is Too Complex". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  24. ^ a b Valerie Insinna (4 Jan 2023) Inside the special F-16 the Air Force is using to test out AI DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE), AFRL's Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO)
  25. ^ a b "X-62A Completes First Successful VSS Flight :: Calspan". calspan.com. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  26. ^ Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr. (09 September 2020) AI To Fly In Dogfight Tests By 2024: SecDef For "human-machine teaming".
  27. ^ Jr, Sydney J. Freedberg (2020-02-24). "DoD Adopts AI Ethics Principles – But How Will They Be Enforced?". Breaking Defense. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
  28. ^ Michael Marrow (6 Mar 2023) DARPA moves General Atomics' 'LongShot' drone pitch to phase 2 "DARPA envisions a plane launching a drone, which in turn can launch its own weapons".
  29. ^ Heather Penney (September 2022) Five Imperatives for Developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Teaming Operations MITCHELL INSTITUTE Policy Paper 38 Sep 2022. 40 pages,
  30. ^ Heather Penney (2 Dec 2022) Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming "The 5 Keys to Achieving Highly Collaborative Combat Aircraft"
  31. ^ Collaborative Combat Aircraft Will Join the Air Force Before NGAD. Air & Space Forces Magazine. 29 March 2023.
  32. ^ US Air Force eyes fleet of 1,000 drone wingmen as planning accelerates. Defense News. 8 March 2023.
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