We will not revisit in detail the background for “Loyal Wingman” as an AFRL program, there is plenty of documentation available in the public domain for us to review on the issue. This effort stems from the Low-Cost Attritable Strike Unmanned Aerial System Demonstration (LCASD), a proof-of-concept initiative designed to provide an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) that can execute a variety of mission at a fraction of the cost and risk of an F-35 or even F-15E. This is nothing new, Boeing has been working on such an approach since the late 1990s, with one of their first effort being a study with Dassault Aviation about manned/unmanned joint operations in the early 2000s.
The agreement between Boeing and the Australian government to proceed with the “Loyal Wingman” concept is particularly interesting for a number of reasons: operational, industrial and strategic.
Operational:
Loyal Wingman (LW) will integrate into the RAAF Airpower Teaming System as a force multiplier. First, for EW and reconnaissance missions; then as part of a….