- China and Russia are adding increasingly sophisticated stealth fighter jets to their air forces.
- For US Air Force pilots trying to train, replicating those jets' capabilities is a challenge.
As China and Russia develop advanced stealth fighters, the US Air Force faces two problems.
The first is how to defeat cutting-edge aircraft — such as China's J-20 and Russia's Su-57 — that are designed to minimize detection by radar. In turn, this raises another problem: How do US military pilots test weapons and tactics against these aircraft without a realistic target?
Current US target drones are either Cold War-era, fourth-generation manned aircraft such as the F-4 and the F-16, which have been converted into remote-controlled QF-4 and QF-16 target drones, or sub-scale drones like the Air Force's BQM-167A, a subsonic aircraft that is just 20 feet long, compared to 65 feet for an Su-57 or 69 feet for a J-20.
Neither type of target drone mimics the stealth, maneuverability, and defensive systems of fifth-generation aircraft.
Hence, the Air Force is looking for a next-generation target drone that not only resembles a fifth-generation fighter — at least on a radar screen or an infrared sensor — but also emits radar and jamming signals that US pilots would encounter in real combat. It should also be "destructible," which means that it is inexpensive enough to be blown up during target practice.
The target drone should be "designed to replicate threat aircraft systems that emulate performance, signatures, and countermeasures of enemy aircraft," according to a Request for Information issued by the Air Force in July, which seeks feedback from potential manufacturers.
The RFI describes a "fifth generation representative target suite" that "should be able to provide a remotely-controlled, destructible asset" with radio-frequency and electronic-attack emissions and a radar cross section and infrared signature that are "threat representative," in addition to having "internally carried expendables," according to the RFI.
"Remotely-controlled targets must be capable of autonomous operation, either under remote control by a human operator, autonomously by onboard computers, or any combination of the two methods," the RFI adds.
While the Air Force says these are preliminary requirements, the initial specifications suggest a drone far more capable than current aerial targets.
The new vehicle should be able to perform bursts of supersonic speed, with a minimum of two supersonic dashes at Mach 1.2 for two to four minutes each. Its operating altitude should be from 100 feet up to 50,000 feet, and it must also perform high-G maneuvers, including a 3G-a-second turn for three seconds at 0.85 Mach.
Jamming and decoys will be a key part of the design. The Air Force wants a drone that can carry the ALE-47 — the US military's main airborne countermeasures system — which detects enemy radar and missiles targeting an aircraft and responds by launching chaff and infrared decoys.
The target drone should also be able to carry jamming pods and other equipment: The Air Force wants a craft that can carry 500 pounds of payload internally, plus more slung under the wings.
The Air Force describes a typical two-hour test mission in which the target drone flies autonomously for 250 miles to a designated point where it holds position for 10 minutes before doing a supersonic dash for two minutes and then repeating the cycle. If the drone isn't destroyed in mock combat, it can land on a runway or by parachute.
The Air Force wants prototypes developed within five years after the contract has been awarded, which probably means the first models won't be operational until around 2030.
Significantly, the RFI stresses in bold print that the target drone should be "highly affordable," suggesting that cost is a major consideration.
Reusability may also be important, given that the Air Force doesn't appear to be ordering mass quantities. The RFI asks interested contractors to estimate the cost for full-rate production "at a maximum of 12 units per year on an annual procurement basis for 5, 10, and 15 years."
As new technologies are developed to stop advanced weapons, such as hypersonic missiles, there will be a need for a new generation of test vehicles that can sufficiently replicate the characteristics of enemy equipment. A weapon is only as good as the testing it goes through.
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy Magazine and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.