Boeing, RAAF say pilotless, fighter-like jet completed first test flight

2/3/2021 15:11

        Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) said they had completed the first flight test on a pilotless fighter-like jet designed to operate in conjunction with crewed aircraft.
        
        The "Loyal Wingman", the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years, flew under the supervision of a Boeing test pilot monitoring it from a ground control station in South Australia.
        
        The Australian government has invested AUD$40 million (US$31 million) in development of the product, which Boeing has said could be customised for other global customers.
        
        Boeing's Loyal Wingman is 11.6m, has a 3,704km range and a nose that can be removed to fit various payloads. It can carry weapons and act as a shield to help protect more expensive manned fighter jets.
        
        Defence contractors are investing increasingly in autonomous technology as militaries around the world look for cheaper and safer ways to maximise their resources.