Cruise Missile Swarms could be part of Skunk Works vision for future manned-unmanned air combat. Joseph Trevithick and Tyler Rogoway of The WarZone writes (abridged):
Lockheed Martin has laid out its vision for the future of tactical air combat. The head of the company’s legendary Skunk Works advanced project division says its plan, which is centered on a multi-layered “distributed team” of diverse unmanned aircraft working in concert with manned types, presents a far more capable alternative to so-called ‘loyal wingman’ concepts, which involve air combat drones working ‘tethered’ to manned platforms in a relatively rigid fashion.
Lockheed Martin Vice President and Skunk Works General Manager John Clark provided details about this unmanned initiative at a virtual press briefing yesterday that staff from The War Zone attended. Computer-generated promotional materials the company subsequently released, seen at the top of this story and below, show four different pilotless platforms, which range from lower-end expendable and ‘attritable‘ designs to more ‘exquisite’ types, all intended to work in complementary ways with existing and future manned combat aircraft, as well as each other. […]
The U.S. Air Force is experimenting with the idea of networked munitions with high degrees of autonomy as part of its Golden Horde program and also explored ideas for low-cost cruise missiles in recent years through the Gray Wolf project, among other relevant initiatives.
© dmitrydesigner @Adobestock.com
Originally posted January, 4th 2018
The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman contracts for the development of a new low-cost cruise missiles capable of flying in swarms. The new missiles will be designed for compatibility with F-35, F-16, F-15, F-18, B-1, B-2 and B-52 aircraft and will wreak havoc on enemy air defenses. The cruise missile could also be included in the U.S. Air Force’s “Rapid Dragon” experimentation. The “Grey Wolf” cruise missiles will have improved fuel-efficient engines and more lethal warheads.
The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. contracts to develop new, lower-cost cruise missiles capable of flying in swarms to target enemy air defenses.
Lockheed, the world’s largest defense contractor, in a release Wednesday announced it received a five-year $110 million contract from the lab to build the “Gray Wolf.”
The weapon will be designed with “networked, collaborative behaviors (swarming) to address Integrated Air Defense (IAD) system threats around the world,” according to the release.
The Bethesda, Maryland-based company’s “concept for the Gray Wolf missile will be an affordable, counter-IAD missile that will operate efficiently in highly contested environments,” Hady Mourad, director of the Advanced Missiles Program at the company’s Missiles and Fire Control division, said in the release.
“Our system is being designed to maximize modularity, allowing our customer to incorporate advanced technologies such as more lethal warheads or more fuel-efficient engines, when those systems become available,” he added.
The first of four development phases is set to run until late 2019, according to Lockheed. Work is expected to be complete in late 2024, according to a defense contract announcement.
Read more here.
