<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/55457289.cms" /> After much wait, India’s long endurance Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (<keyword id="616608" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UCAV">UCAV</keyword>): <keyword id="945889" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rustom-2">Rustom-2</keyword> finally completed its first flight at Challakere which is about 200km from <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword>. 
 
The UCAV comes under the medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) category of vehicles and it is said that it “mall the expectations” in its flight. 
 
The drone was first scheduled to fly in late 2013 but it got delayed by around three years as there were some development delays. The developer, however, claims that Rustom-2 will be a whole new generation of unmanned drones. It has a wingspan of more than 20m and an endurance of 24-30 hours. 
 
Equipped with contemporary technology, it will need a runway to takeoff and land unlike traditional UAVs, which makes it more trustworthy. Compared to Rustom-I, the advanced version will have enhanced aerodynamic configuration, digital flight control and navigation system. 
 
"Besides, it will also have automatic takeoff and landing capabilities, this version of Rustom is comparable to some of the best in the world," sources in ADE told TOI. 
 
While the ADE hopes to bag orders from all the three wings of the armed forces- army, navy and the air force- its ability to stick to deadlines and also give a good quality platform will be key. 
(image: IndiaTimes)

DRDO’s unmanned combat drone takes flight

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50169217.cms" /> 
India will finally develop its own stealth combat drones or <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UCAV">UCAV</a>s (unmanned combat aerial vehicles). These drones can fire missiles and head back home. 
 
Sources said the government might approve a Rs 2,650 Crore <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Project+Ghatak">Project Ghatak</a> which has been cleared by the defense ministry. The project is apparently being evaluated by an expert committee set up by the finance ministry. Once approved, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Project+Ghatak">Project Ghatak</a> will be placed before the cabinet committee on security for the final nod. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Project+Ghatak">Project Ghatak</a> is based on the earlier AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme sanctioned in 2009 at a cost of mere Rs 12.50 Crore. The goal there was to carry out a ‘conceptual and feasibility study’. The Minister of State for Defence <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rao+Inderjit+Singh">Rao Inderjit Singh</a> told Parliament earlier this month that the project was successfully completed in April 2013 within the schedule. 
 <keyword id="6355142" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="DRDO">DRDO</keyword> and IAF have now launched <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Project+Ghatak">Project Ghatak</a> to build an aerial vehicle that weighs lesser than a fighter jet. The <keyword id="616608" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="UCAV">UCAV</keyword> will take at least a decade to become fully-operational. 
 
Interestingly, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UCAV">UCAV</a> is expected to be powered by a ‘52-kilonewton dry variant’ of the indigenously-developed Kaveri aerospace engine, which could not be fitted into the Tejas light combat aircraft. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

India will have its own stealth combat drones…but in a
decade! *Sigh*

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The TB2 drone was almost written off as Russia's defenses appeared to have got the better of them.</li><li>But reports say they are flying again and hitting Russian targets with devastating effect.</li></ul>Video footage shared by Ukraine's Navy appeared to show a Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) destroying a Russian KS-701 patrol boat in the Black Sea — a sign that the formidable Turkish-built drone is back in operation.In the grisly clip, which was shared on Telegram on September 3, black and white footage shows figures moving around on a boat before it's engulfed by a devastating explosion. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="undefined"> —OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1698366467379437763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2023</a> </blockquote>The caption with the video says: "In the north-western part of the Black Sea, during an attempt to land enemy personnel, the naval aviation of the Ukrainian Navy destroyed an enemy boat of the type KS-701 Tunets. The enemy suffered losses amounting to 6 killed and two wounded invaders."<a href="https://www.eurasiantimes.com/bayraktar-tb2-drones-make-a-grand-re-entry-destroys/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another video</a> that went viral on social media the same day featured the destruction of a Russian military's Ural truck in the Kherson region, also appeared to show the TB2 Bayraktar in action.Why the TB2 has returned to devastating action could be a testament to the months Ukraine has spent degrading Russia's air defense systems, hitting Putin's forces deep behind the frontline with HIMARS, missiles, and pinpoint drone attacks."That TB-2s again are firing missiles at Russian troops is a strong indicator that Russian air defenses in the south are in trouble," wrote <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/09/03/ukraines-tb-2-drones-are-back-in-action-thats-an-ominous-sign-for-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Axe in Forbes.</a>Indeed, the TB2 Bayraktar sorties revival came a week after a prized <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-using-s400-air-defense-missiles-to-attack-ground-targets-2023-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advanced S-400 Triumf</a> was spectacularly destroyed in Crimea.Highly praised by Moscow, the formidable S-400 — a successor to the older S-200 and S-300 — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surface-to-air-missiles-hitting-land-targets-in-ukraine-war-2023-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can engage</a> cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as aircraft and drones, and is considered the Russian equivalent to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-ukraine-destroys-russian-s-400-rare-loss-prized-weapon-2023-8">the American Patriot system.</a><h2>The rise and fall of the Bayraktar TB2</h2><div type="image" title="A collage of four screenshots from what Ukrainian forces say is the viewfinder of Bayraktar TB2 drones targeting Russian-controlled assets" height="1500" width="2000" msid="103557369" hostid="261" sizebytes="146208"></div>Ukraine used the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-moment-ukraine-drone-strike-destroys-russian-vessel-war-2023-9">Turkish-made drones</a> extensively at the start of the war when they were hailed as the future of modern warfare and Ukraine's savior following the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-naval-fleet-idUSBREA270M920140308">demolition</a> of its Navy in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.There were repeated reports of the UCAVs being used to target <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-hypes-bayraktar-drone-as-videos-show-destroyed-russia-tanks-2022-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" rel="">Russian tanks</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-purport-to-show-ukriane-bayraktar-strikes-on-russia-vehicles-2022-3?r=US&amp;IR=T" rel="">armor,</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shocking-video-shows-ukrainian-drone-destroying-2-russian-patrol-boats-2022-5?r=US&amp;IR=T" rel="">patrol boats</a>, and there was even a propaganda song glorifying them.But by May 2023, the drones had been largely wiped out, with many of those remaining in operation relegated to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turkeys-bayraktar-tb2-drones-ineffective-ukraine-war-2023-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reconnaissance roles</a>."The general assessment of drones like TB2 is that they work well without sophisticated air and electronic warfare defenses arrayed against them," Samuel Bendett, an analyst and expert in unmanned and robotic military systems at the Center for Naval Analyses, previously told Insider."As a relatively slow and low-flying UAV, it can become a target for a range of air defense systems that are well organized — we saw this in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh," he added.Russia worked fast to improve its air and electronic defenses at the start of the war following Ukraine's early successes, becoming adept at jamming and destroying many of Ukraine's drones."Once the Russian military got its act together, it was able to down many TB2s," Bendett said. The 21-foot-long drones, which have an operational altitude of 18,000 feet and can reach a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet, can fly for as long as 27 hours and can be fitted with four laser-guided smart munitions, according to <a href="https://baykartech.com/en/uav/bayraktar-tb2/">Baykar</a>, the manufacturer.It adds that there are 257 Bayraktar drones in operation, serving Turkey, Qatar, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan.

Ukraine's Bayraktar TB2 drones appear to be back in combat — and with devastating effect, reports say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's last J-7 fighter jets may leave active service this year, according to Chinese state media.</li><li>J-7s, copies of the Soviet MiG-21, were introduced in the 1960s and have been called "grandpa jets."</li></ul>The Cold War fighter that was once the mainstay of China's air force is finally being retired.The last of the Chengdu J-7 — a Chinese copy of the 1960s-era Soviet MiG-21 — may be completely phased out of active service this year, according to the state-sponsored Chinese newspaper <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202301/1284429.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Times</a>.But that doesn't mean they won't fly again. There are indications that China may turn J-7s into suicide drones for use in a massive attack on Taiwan.The decommissioning of the J-7, which began in 2018, also marks a transition for Chinese airpower. China has been fielding <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-air-force-navy-combat-aircraft-catching-up-to-west-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advanced Chinese-designed aircraft</a> such as the J-16 fighter and the J-20 stealth fighter, as well as newer Russian imports such as the Su-27 and Su-30.At the same time, China has about 350 J-7s and J-8s (a J-7 derivative) used by the Chinese air force, plus another 24 J-8s operated by the Chinese navy, according to The Military Balance 2022, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. (Between its air force and navy, China now has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-air-force-navy-combat-aircraft-catching-up-to-west-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the world's third-largest aviation force</a>, according to the Pentagon.)<div type="image" title="Chinese F-7 fighter jet" height="1340" width="2000" msid="98126499" hostid="261" sizebytes="403748"></div>This would be the equivalent of the US military operating F-35 stealth fighters alongside 1960s-vintage F-4 Phantoms. "The retirement of the J-7s would mark the full shift to fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft for the PLAAF," Rod Lee, research director for the US Air Force's China Aerospace Studies Institute, told Insider.Interestingly, Global Times described the J-7 as "the first supersonic fighter jet developed by China that can reach Mach 2." The article neglected to mention that the J-7 is a copy of the Soviet MiG-21 (NATO codename: "Fishbed") that China partly reverse-engineered.In 1961, the Soviet Union agreed to supply its new MiG-21 design to China, including technical documents, raw materials, and a few airframes and engines, aviation expert Andreas Rupprecht notes in his book, "Dragon's Wings."But as the rift <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fighting-over-dispute-border-island-risked-chinese-soviet-nuclear-war-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">between Moscow and Beijing grew</a>, the Soviets didn't turn over everything. China promptly began to reverse-engineer the design, which made its first flight in 1966.The early J-7 (NATO code name: "Fishcan") was a disappointment, according to Rupprecht: "It had a very limited internal fuel capacity and thus limited range. With only one gun, its firepower was less than adequate. It was troubled by poor reliability, and its ejection seat had severe flaws."In addition, the J-7 had manufacturing defects and a cockpit that didn't fit Chinese pilots.<div type="image" title="Chinese F-7 fighter jet" height="1338" width="2000" msid="98106626" hostid="261"></div>Nonetheless, political pressure for China to develop its own supersonic fighter led to mass production by the 1980s — just as the third-generation MiG-21 design was being rendered obsolete by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-fifth-and-fourth-generation-fighter-jets-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth-generation fighters</a> such as the F-16 and MiG-29.The J-7 did receive continual updates to its airframe and avionics, with more than <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/j7f7fighteraircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2,400 models produced in 54 variants</a> by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. (Production ceased in 2013.)The J-7 also became prominent as the F-7 (NATO code name: "Airguard"), an export version to nations looking for a cheap, simple fighter without too many strings attached. Pakistan became the biggest non-Chinese user and still operates 66 F-7s, according to The Military Balance. Other users have included Albania, Egypt, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Iran.In 2021, China flew <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-sending-grandpa-fighter-jets-to-test-taiwans-defenses-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four J-7s in exercises near Taiwan</a>. This surprised observers, who questioned why old J-7s — which the Taiwanese have dubbed "grandpa jets" — were flying alongside modern J-16 fighters. This led to speculation that the J-7s had actually been converted into drones."The retired J-7s could be reserved for training and testing, or they could be modified to become drones and play new roles in modern warfare," Global Times said.<div type="image" title="Pakistani F-7 fighter jet" height="936" width="1248" msid="98106627" hostid="261"></div>US experts concur. China may be converting the J-7 and other older aircraft into unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs, according to the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies."The cost of converting legacy aircraft into UCAVs is relatively low, but they retain many of their manned-variant characteristics," Daniel Rice, a non-resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute, wrote in a recent paper. "Converted airframes have the same performance, maneuverability, and payload capacity as the original platforms. They also reduce the risk of casualties in combat."UCAVs make it possible for China's air force "to use relatively cheap, capable, low-risk airframes as a first-in asset to either strike or soften Taiwan's air defense systems," Rice added.Robot J-7s would still have to face modern Taiwanese and American fighters and air defenses, but for a 60-year-old warplane, it would be a dramatic finale.February 21, 2023: This story has been updated with a photo in which a Chinese F-7 jet is more clearly visible.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 <a href="https://www.twitter.com/@mipeck1" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmipeck%2F&amp;amazonTrackingID=null&amp;site=bi&amp;vikingID=63a0ec69c4cc6f36ff0dbbd6&amp;platform=browser&amp;sc=false&amp;disabled=false&amp;sessionID=1666393597540n9zaize3&amp;postID=63eba145aca76110fa079cba" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noindex noopener sponsored">LinkedIn</a>.

China is getting rid of its 'grandpa' fighter jets, but they may make a comeback for a one-way mission against Taiwan

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Over the past 30 years, the US Air Force's fighter fleet has shrunk.</li><li>As the service focuses on competition with China, it wants an affordable way to expand that fleet.</li></ul>On April 11, General Atomics <a href="https://www.ga.com/ga-asi-flies-mq-20-avenger-autonomously-using-leo-satcom-datalink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that AI and human pilots had successfully done combat maneuvers with the company's MQ-20 Avenger unmanned combat aerial vehicle.The test involved human operators sending commands to the aircraft through a satellite in low earth orbit. The aircraft were also tracked and maneuvered by AI pilots operating autonomously. Data was collected and used to retrain and redeploy AI pilots via satellite connection while the aircraft was still airborne.The test is one of the latest developments in the US Air Force's efforts to acquire collaborative combat aircraft — unmanned aircraft capable of operating alongside piloted aircraft or autonomously for all kinds of missions.The collaborative combat aircraft is one of the Air Force's biggest priorities, one that will shape the future of its inventory and influence how it uses its aircraft."We're headed down the path to have much more capability for uncrewed aircraft," Gen. Charles Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of staff, <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-u-s-air-force-and-american-defense-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in February. "As you look at collaborative combat aircraft, it can be the sensor, it could be a shooter, it can be a jammer."<h2>A need for 'affordable mass'</h2><div type="image" title="MQ-9 Reapers and F-16 elephant walk Holloman" height="1331" width="2000" msid="99971589" hostid="261"></div>Collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA, are a solution to a problem the Air Force faces as it prepares for an era of great-power competition with China: the size of its fleet.Budget cuts, the <a href="https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/what-went-wrong-how-the-f-35-got-to-be-so-expensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unexpectedly high cost</a> of the F-35 stealth fighter, and the focus on low-intensity counterinsurgency operations for much of the past three decades led that fleet to shrink.In 1989, the Air Force's total fighter inventory was 4,321 aircraft. That fell to 2,584 by 1999 and to 1,176 in 2022, <a href="https://youtu.be/avN6l78aoDo?t=292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The number of mission-capable fighters — those that can fly and perform at least one mission — is even lower. Worse, the Air Force faces <a href="https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2023/03/03/perennial-pilot-shortage-puts-air-force-in-precarious-position/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a pilot shortage</a> and its overall number of flight hours <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-flying-hours-decline-again-after-brief-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been decreasing</a>.The Air Force has tried to address those issues in several ways. It is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-new-f15ex-fighter-cant-win-next-war-2021-5" target="_top">acquiring the F-15EX</a>, a modernized version of the F-15 that will replace older models, and it has <a href="https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/air-force-pilot-training-method-17728373.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invested in simulators</a> to accelerate pilot training.The Air Force also continues to develop top-tier assets like the F-35, the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3235326/world-gets-first-look-at-b-21-raider/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B-21 stealth bomber</a>, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-are-teaming-up-to-build-next-generation-fighter-jets-2023-1" target="_top">Next Generation Air Dominance</a> program, or NGAD.However, those aircraft are very expensive, their development may still be delayed, and acquiring them doesn't address pilot retention and generation issues. Consequently, the Air Force wants cheaper, capable airframes to provide "<a href="https://www.afa.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/Advancements%20in%20Collaborative%20Combat%20Aircraft%20CONOPs%20%28Transcript%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affordable mass</a>."<h2>Collaborative combat aircraft</h2><div type="image" title="MQ-1 Predator drone in Iraq" height="1210" width="1614" msid="99971590" hostid="261"></div>The Air Force has used drones for intelligence-gathering and airstrikes for decades, but its premier unmanned combat platforms, the <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104469/mq-1b-predator/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MQ-1 Predator</a> and <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104470/mq-9-reaper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MQ-9 Reaper</a>, are still operated remotely by humans.CCAs, however, are meant to function remotely or autonomously and to perform a range of missions, including air-to-air combat, airstrikes, and intelligence-gathering. They will be able to operate alongside piloted aircraft in manned-unmanned teams, in which pilots will assign tasks that the CCAs complete on their own. The CCAs will also be able to operate completely autonomously with other CCAs.CCAs are an integral part of NGAD, which seeks to create "a family of systems," not just a single fighter."One way to think about it is that the pod or the weapon that might have been under the wing of crewed aircraft is now flying in separate aircraft and managed by that commander of that aircraft," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the service's top civilian official, told lawmakers on May 2."The analysis that we've done shows that the adversary has to honor each of those aircraft, as it is a full threat, and that gives you a great advantage relative to the cost of having those things in the air," Kendall added.<div type="image" title="XQ-58A Valkyrie drone launching" height="1336" width="2000" msid="99971591" hostid="261"></div>CCAs will be piloted by systems that are in development. The Air Force's <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/wildly-successful-skyborg-program-of-record-developing-st/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skyborg</a> program, which is pursuing an AI-enabled system to control unmanned aircraft, has <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/wildly-successful-skyborg-program-of-record-developing-st/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">successfully demonstrated</a> its capabilities. DARPA's <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/program/air-combat-evolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air Combat Evolution</a> program has demonstrated its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-just-beat-a-human-pilot-in-a-simulated-dogfight-2020-8" target="_top">ability to beat human pilots</a> in simulated dogfights.Kendall said in early March that the Air Force <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/kendall-new-details-air-force-plans-200-ngad-1000-ccas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may acquire</a> at least 1,000 CCAs — two each for some 500 NGAD aircraft and F-35s — but has since said that was just a starting point meant to show the Air Force was serious about the program."We're starting out with the intent to have at least two per fighter working together, but it could be more than that," Kendall told reporters at the Air and Space Forces symposium on March 7. "It's going to be a question of what the technology will support and what works out best operationally."Kendall has said the cost of each CCA could be one-quarter to half the cost of an F-35. With F-35s running about <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/collaborative-combat-aircraft-ngad-timeline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$82.5 million</a>, CCAs could cost between $21 million and $41 million."We can sacrifice one of these aircraft, put it well out in front, use it to draw a fire, and force the other side to expose itself and then be subject to engagement," Kendall told lawmakers this month. "We call them attritable. They're not expendable, but we can afford to lose some of them operationally."<h2>Valkyrie, Avenger, and Ghost Bat</h2><div type="image" title="MQ-20 Avenger" height="933" width="1244" msid="99971592" hostid="261"></div>Air Force officials have indicated that because of the array of missions CCAs are expected to conduct, there likely won't be a single model.At least three UCAVs in development could be candidates for the Air Force's program: the <a href="https://www.kratosdefense.com/-/media/k/pdf/usd/xq-58a-valkyrie.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">XQ-58 Valkyrie</a> from Kratos Defense, the <a href="https://www.ga-asi.com/remotely-piloted-aircraft/predator-c-avenger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MQ-20 Avenger</a> from General Atomics, and the <a href="https://www.boeing.com/defense/MQ-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MQ-28 Ghost Bat</a> from Boeing.The XQ-58A has a maximum launch weight of 6,000 pounds and can cruise at 550 mph. Its operational altitude is 45,000 feet and it has a range of 3,000 nautical miles. Since first flying in 2019, it has done multiple test flights for the Air Force, including <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38168/stealthy-xq-58-drone-busts-the-networking-logjam-between-f-22-and-f-35" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being used as a datalink</a> for F-22s and F-35s and <a href="https://ir.kratosdefense.com/news-releases/news-release-details/kratos-usaf-complete-successful-xq-58a-valkyrie-skyborg-flight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">work with the Skyborg</a> program.The Valkyrie's unique <a href="https://ir.kratosdefense.com/news-releases/news-release-details/kratos-xq-58a-valkyrie-continues-successful-flights-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocket-assisted takeoff system</a> also gives it what Kratos and the Air Force call "runway independence." It uses parachutes and airbag cushions to land.The MQ-20 Avenger first flew in 2009 and an <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42906/this-is-a-great-comparison-between-general-atomics-avenger-drone-configurations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upgraded version</a> with increased fuel capacity flew in 2016. It has a top speed of about 460 mph and a 20-hour flight endurance and can reach altitudes over 50,000 feet. It can carry 6,500 pounds of ordnance, including missiles and precision-guided bombs. The MQ-20 can also be fitted with sensors and cameras, making it suitable for intelligence-gathering and electronic warfare.<div type="image" title="MQ-28 Ghost Bat in Australia" height="1300" width="1733" msid="99971593" hostid="261"></div>The Avenger's angular shape and internal weapons bay give it stealth properties. Only a few have been built, but it has been <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/military-uavs/two-general-atomics-mq-20-avengers-coordinate-flight-with-skyborg-software/146189.article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily involved</a> in the Skyborg program.The MQ-28 was developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force and was originally known as the Airpower Teaming System, a nod to its intended role as a "loyal wingman" to manned aircraft.Boeing has been very secretive about the Ghost Bat, which first flew in 2021. The company has said the drone can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles and carry sensor packages for intelligence-gathering and early-warning missions.Australia has <a href="https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/key-enablers/10031-defence-clarifies-ghost-bat-procurement-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed contracts</a> for 10 MQ-28s, which are expected to enter service between 2024 and 2025. The US Air Force has <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/air-force-acquires-australias-mq-28-ghost-bat-drone-for-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired</a> at least one MQ-28 for testing.Kendall has said a formal competition for CCA acquisition could begin as soon as late 2023, and Air Force officials say the first CCAs could arrive in the late 2020s and enter service before the NGAD fighter."I think the CCA is not just desirable. It's essential" to meet the global challenges the Air Force faces, Kendall told lawmakers on March 28. "Without it, it's very difficult to envision how we could keep the Air Force at the size it currently is."

The US Air Force has big plans for the next-generation drones that will fight alongside its fighters and bombers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Russian Ministry of Defense has proposed expanding the role of the stealthy new <keyword id="9843274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="okhotnik">Okhotnik</keyword> (Hunter) <keyword id="6354474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drone">drone</keyword> to include long-range intercept missions, Russian state media reported.</li><li>The Okhotnik could be tasked with targeting not only approaching fighter and bomber aircraft, but also the tankers and airborne early warning planes that support them.</li><li>An aircraft industry source told the state-run TASS that the drone will rely on <keyword id="107950" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="60" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</keyword> to achieve a certain degree of warfighting autonomy.</li><li>Like <keyword id="6358826" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword>, the US military is pursuing several lines of effort to field AI-driven autonomous aircraft for manned-unmanned teaming in combat operations.</li></ul>Russia is considering giving the stealthy Okhotnik (Hunter) combat drone an air-to-air combat mission as a long-range interceptor, Russian state media reported this week.The Russian defense ministry has proposed a concept of operations that would see the drone deployed forward with long-range weaponry to "attack air targets before they approach the air defense zone," <a href="https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/9299951">an aircraft industry source told the TASS news agency</a>.While development of the flying-wing Okhotnik unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) began years earlier, it was not until January of last year that the world saw the first pictures of the drone.The drone, a Sukhoi Design Bureau project, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-stealthy-new-strike-drone-takes-flight-for-first-time-2019-8">took flight for the first time</a> in August 2019, and then in September of last year, it flew alongside a Su-57, Russia's most advanced fighter aircraft."As originally designed, it was supposed to be an air defense penetrator," Samuel Bendett, an adviser with CNA and an adjunct senior fellow with the Center for a New American Security think tank who studies Russian military autonomy and AI, told Insider."Then, they announced that it would function in a manned-unmanned teaming formation with the stealthy Su-57 manned aircraft and the Su-35, also an advanced Russian manned aircraft," he said. "And, now they are saying that it's going to get an interceptor role."As a forward operating system, the Okhotnik could be tasked with targeting not only approaching fighter and bomber aircraft, but also rear-echelon assets such as tankers and airborne early warning planes that support them. It could even dogfight with enemy manned aircraft, as well as engage unmanned systems.In addition to intercepting adversary assets, it could also be used to draw fire, force an enemy to reveal itself, or cause an adversary to expend higher-value, sophisticated munitions on a drone that could be needed for later fights.<div type="image" title="The first joint flight of a Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle and a Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter." height="512" width="1024" msid="77812256" hostid="261"></div>Russia characterizes the Okhotnik as a stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) with a reduced radar signature, which gives the aircraft the ability to slip past defenses or approach enemy assets with less chance of being detected.The design of the prototypes that have been used in recent tests do not appear to provide the desired all-aspect low observability. However, that may not be the case with the final design.Last August, Sukhoi unveiled a stealthier design at an event outside Moscow, indicating that Russia intends to further refine the aircraft to achieve the intended stealth capabilities.As for how it might operate, TASS reports that Okhotnik's actions in battle will be coordinated by both ground stations and manned fighter aircraft.Bendett told Insider he suspects the Okhotnik drone "will have a similar role to Skyborg," a US Air Force project aimed at developing low-cost, attritable AI-driven autonomous UCAVs to fly alongside manned fighters.<div type="image" title="A video screen grab shows a Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle performing first test flights." height="402" width="804" msid="77812259" hostid="261"></div>TASS' source told the outlet that the AI-driven platform will be "fully autonomous" and have the ability to "independently search for certain types of targets, report on them, and attack.""Full autonomy is, I think, more of a conceptual statement," Bendett said. "It's a statement that kind of provides a goal for the domestic defense sector to work towards and kind of puts everybody else on notice that this is what the Russians are working on."He said that across the Russian defense establishment, researchers and developers are looking at "unmanned systems eventually having full autonomy and fighting alongside humans, selecting the targets and making the evaluations for a human operator to then make the final decision."As for that final decision on whether or not to engage, Russia is currently keeping the human in the loop, but, "we are starting to see the debate shift a little bit into that gray area where AI-enabled decision-making systems in various weapons are going to be given a greater and greater role in combat to the point where the human role is diminished," Bendett said.It is not clear to what degree the Okhotnik combat drone is presently autonomous, assuming it is at all.The US military is currently pursuing projects to advance research for unmanned warfare with AI at the stick.Last week, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) put an AI algorithm up against a well-trained US Air Force F-16 pilot in a "simulated within-visual-range air combat" situation, or dogfight.The AI achieved a flawless victory, one that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-pilot-not-surprised-ai-beat-human-in-simulated-dogfight-2020-8">a former US Navy TOPGUN instructor said</a> was a "significant step toward one day providing an unmanned aircraft that can perform dogfighting" but not evidence "that we're there now."The Air Force has said that it plans to pit an AI-driven autonomous aircraft against a human pilot in some type of aerial engagement as early as next year, more work is required to get AI ready for real world combat."The United States is ahead of the competition in trying to understand what AI's role is in aerial combat," Bendett said, adding that Russia will likely need to put its unmanned systems through similar tests before platforms like the Okhotnik can carry out missions as intended.The Russian defense ministry has called for deliveries of the Okhotnik combat drone to begin in 2024.

Russia is talking about giving its stealthy 'Hunter' drone an air-to-air combat mission as a long-range interceptor

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d8e04772e22af178675881b-1778/screen%20shot%202019-09-27%20at%2084455%20am.png" border="0" alt="Okhotnik drone flying alongside Su-57 fighter" data-mce-source="Screenshot from Russian Ministry of Defense video" data-mce-caption="Okhotnik drone flying alongside Su-57 fighter">Screenshot from Russian Ministry of Defense videoThe Okhotnik drone flying alongside Su-57 fighter.</img></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia's new heavy attack drone took flight for the first time alongside the country's most advanced fighter, the <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> ministry revealed Monday.</li><li>Flying with the fifth-generation Su-57, the Okhotnik, or "Hunter," drone was able "to broaden the fighter's radar coverage and to provide target acquisition for employing air-launched weapons," the ministry said.</li><li>The latest flight appears to confirm suspicions that the drone was designed to fight alongside and provide critical battespace information to Russia's newest fighters.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Russia's new heavy combat drone has flown for the first time alongside the country's most advanced fighter jet, giving the fighter a new edge in battle, the Russian defense ministry announced Friday."The Okhotnik unmanned aerial vehicle has performed its first joint flight with a fifth-generation Su-57 plane," the ministry said in a statement, <a href="https://tass.com/defense/1080201">according</a> to Russia's state-run TASS <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> agency.The two Russian aircraft flew together "to broaden the fighter's radar coverage and to provide target acquisition for employing air-launched weapons," the ministry added.Photos of the Okhotnik first surfaced online in January, but it wasn't until June that the unmanned aircraft was formally unveiled.This summer, the heavy attack drone completed its maiden flight, during which it flew circles over an airfield for 20 minutes.The flight involving both the Okhotnik drone and the Su-57 fighter appears to confirm what some have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-okhotnik-stealth-drone-pics-hint-at-future-of-jet-fighters-2019-1">suspected</a> for months - that the stealthy flying-wing drone was designed to fight alongside and provide critical battespace information to Russia's new fifth-generation fighters.In January, shortly after photos of the Okhtonik appeared online, photos of an Su-57 with an interesting new paint job appeared. The redesign featured silhouettes of a Su-57 and a flying-wing aircraft that looked a lot like the Okhotnik.Russia claims that the Okhotnik has stealth capabilities, a byproduct of its shape and an anti-radar coating, and is equipped with electro-optical, radar, and other types of reconnaissance equipment.The heavy attack drone is currently controlled remotely, but in future tests, it is expected to perform in a semi-autonomous state and eventually a completely autonomous mode, TASS <a href="https://tass.com/defense/1080201">reports</a>.Testing with various armaments is expected in the next few years, and the drone will be handed over to Russian troops around 2025.<div><iframe width="921" height="518" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fquWMUBO6Ag" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><iframe width="921" height="518" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/boUaHTI6JxE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">RuAF Su-57 '053' new colour scheme + Okhotnik UCAV silhouette Image via Alexei Karpulev (<a href="https://t.co/EuBOKw2A2S">https://t.co/EuBOKw2A2S</a>)<a href="https://twitter.com/Strike_Flanker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Strike_Flanker</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CombatAir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CombatAir</a> <a href="https://t.co/hrk1WeRCYo">pic.twitter.com/hrk1WeRCYo</a>- @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1086300945909207045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2019</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-drone-dragonfly-mission-titan-saturn-moon-2019-7">NASA's $1 billion Dragonfly drone mission will look for signs of life on Saturn's moon</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Zv26RCjI-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Russia's new stealthy 'Hunter' drone just took flight for the first time with the country's most advanced fighter

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48268211.cms" /> An <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=UAV">unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)</a>, commonly known as a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=drone+">drone </a>is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. The launch and landing process of an unmanned aircraft is by the function of an automatic system or an external operator on the ground. 
 The concept of <keyword id="94769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drones">drones</keyword> came in the mid-1800s, when bomb-filled balloons were used to attack the enemy. The drones that we see today started in the early 1900s and were originally used for target practice to train military personnel. It continued to be developed during World War I and UAV's were used in significant numbers by the Nazi Germany during the course of World War II. United States Air Force started the highly classified UAV program under the code name of "Red Wagon" in the year 1959 to prevent losing pilots over the enemy territory. 
 
UAV's can be classified under these basic categories: 
 
· Logistics – UAVs specifically designed for cargo and logistics operation 
· Research and development – used to further develop UAV technologies to be integrated into field deployed UAV aircraft. 
· Civil and Commercial UAVs – UAVs specifically designed for civil and commercial applications. 
· Target and decoy – providing ground and aerial gunnery a target that simulates an enemy aircraft or missile. 
· Reconnaissance – providing battlefield intelligence. 
· Combat (UCAV's) – providing attack capability for high-risk missions. 
 
Modern drones provide capabilities of both guided missiles and manned aircraft. They provide the tactical and operational flexibility of manned platforms with the reduced risk to personnel associated with it. The Predator drone was first introduced in 1995 and is capable of outperforming any human pilot due to its 50-hour endurance and they can operate in a vast range of environments and fulfill many roles such as reconnaissance and intelligence gathering; close air support for ground forces; offensive aerial operations; and hunter-killer operations. 
 
The Israel connection 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Israel">Israel</a>, a country known for its cutting-edge technology and a robust defence manufacturing set-up is also the biggest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles, which are fast becoming essential to governments worldwide for both military and civilian uses. Some of the Israeli companies that manufacture the drones earned more than $5 billion in sales during the last few years. Israel was recently announced as the world's largest exporter of the small surveillance planes. 
 Israel doesn’t have strict export curbs unlike others and more than half of those Israeli exports were to Europe, while a third went to Asia-Pacific countries including India and <keyword id="62433" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</keyword>. Israel has supplied around 61% of the world’s drones since 1985, as per the new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In second place is the United States, which accounts for 23.9 percent of global drone exports, followed by Canada and France. 
 
 With 22.5% of the world’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imports, between 1985 and 2014, India ranks first among drone-importing nations, followed by United Kingdom and France. 
 
India’s Love for UAVs 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Army">Indian Army</a> was the first to acquire UAVs, in late 1990s from Israel followed by the Indian Air Force and the Navy. The Indian Armed Forces have been operating UAVs for over a decade. The <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> has acquired the Heron UAVs for its off shore requirements. The <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> and the Indian Air Force has Searcher Mark I, followed by the Searcher Mark II and the Heron. 
Efforts has been laid down to develop the indigenous UAV's .India will soon embark on developing an indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) for surveillance, detection and destroying specific targets. 
 
 DRDO is also developing the AURA (Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft) which is an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle for the Indian Air Force with "self-defending high-speed reconnaissance and weapon firing capability". The AURA UCAV will be a tactical stealth aircraft built largely with composites, and capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons. It would be a stealthy flying-wing concept aircraft with internal weapons and a turbofan engine. The AURA will have on-board sensors for targeting and weapon guidance with flight control system and data link packages. 
 
Future potential as a force multiplier 
 
As per some experts current UAVs are useless in a contested environment unless we provide manned aircraft support to protect them. Some of the UCAV's like Predators and Reapers are tailor-made for counter-terrorism operations and in war zones in which the enemy lacks sufficient firepower to shoot them down, and are unable to withstand anti-aircraft defenses or air-to-air combat. 
 
United States and China has a large pile of UCAV's and China is even considering of raising several squadrons of UCAV's in near future. India’s present stock of UAVs is extremely low and there is a need for greater quantities to meet battlefield requirements for the future. The versatility of the UAVs has been demonstrated in strikes against terrorist camps in Iraq and Afghanistan. One major concern for India is that China has already featured its Chang Hong-3 UCAV platforms in various defence exhibitions in recent years and Pakistan has already started receiving these systems from China. 
 <keyword id="2974725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="UK-Royal-Air-Force">UK Royal Air Force</keyword> (RAF) is seriously considering to replace a percentage of its fighter aircraft fleet by UCAVs. The <keyword id="143680" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-States-navy">United States Navy</keyword> already has plans for deploying the unmanned Northrop Grumman X 47-B Unmanned Combat Air System and this shows us the way the world is heading in terms of UAV's and UCAV's. Development of advanced UCAV's is still in a nascent stage and it is here to stay with some serious indications of being a future force multiplier 
 
Image: indiatimes

Rise of the Drones and their impact on 21st century warfare

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48868171.cms" /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=indian+armed+forces">Indian Armed Forces</a> is slowly, but steadily getting equipped with weaponry for covert operations. 
 
The Special Forces of the IAF is getting <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Israeli+snipers">Israeli snipers</a>, assault rifles and European underwater open-circuit diving equipment too. 
 
Not only this, the latest to its warfare is the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=spy+drones">spy drones</a>, which have been bought for Rs 27 crore contract. Sixty five micro UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or <keyword id="397073" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="spy-drones">spy drones</keyword> have been acquired for IAF's Garud Commando Force. 
 
For <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+navy">Indian Navy</a>, construction of two "midget submarines" or "chariots" is already underway at the cost of Rs 2,017 crore. 
The Garuds and the Marcos are equally geared up for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=covert+operations">covert operations</a>. 
 
The Garuds are also trained to destroy enemy assets like radars and aircraft as well as "lasing" high-value targets for friendly fighters, and also rescuing pilots who eject behind enemy lines. 
 
The new drones will have a range of over five kilometre and will be used for surveillance around vital airbases, counter-terrorism and covert operations. 
 
Meanwhile, the unmanned combat aerial vehicles are still a distant dream. The UCAVs can fire missiles on enemy targets before returning to re-arm for further missions. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

You Searched For "UCAV" and got 9 results

DRDO’s unmanned combat drone takes flight

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Russia's new stealthy 'Hunter' drone just took flight for the first time with the country's most advanced fighter

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BI India Bureau

You Searched For "UCAV" and got 9 results

DRDO’s unmanned combat drone takes flight

BI India Bureau

India will have its own stealth combat drones…but in a decade! *Sigh*

BI India Bureau

Ukraine's Bayraktar TB2 drones appear to be back in combat — and with devastating effect, reports say

Nathan Rennolds

China is getting rid of its 'grandpa' fighter jets, but they may make a comeback for a one-way mission against Taiwan

Michael Peck

The US Air Force has big plans for the next-generation drones that will fight alongside its fighters and bombers

Benjamin Brimelow

Russia is talking about giving its stealthy 'Hunter' drone an air-to-air combat mission as a long-range interceptor

Ryan Pickrell

Russia's new stealthy 'Hunter' drone just took flight for the first time with the country's most advanced fighter

Ryan Pickrell

Rise of the Drones and their impact on 21st century warfare

Avinash Kumar

The IAF is getting its swag on!

BI India Bureau

India will have its own stealth combat drones…but in a decade! Sigh