Air Force Pilots May Be Getting NEW Wingmen – Major Reveal!
(RepublicanPress.org) – The vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, John Clark, recently told the media about the company’s new plans for military weapons. The defense contractor is considering creating drone wingmen to the US Air Force.
According to Defense News, Clark said they want to make these strategic aerial vehicles available quickly for the USAF in case conflict erupts in China. Tensions have been high between the US and China, most recently due to the US’s support of Taiwan, which the Communist nation has repeatedly threatened. The first round of these flying machines will be expendable versions that will accompany military pilots in the next few years, with more advanced systems following in the 2030s.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works hopes to have expendable drones ready for the Air Force to use in the next few years, if a war with China breaks out. https://t.co/PbNoSsTVhb
— Defense News (@defense_news) July 17, 2022
Once Lockheed procures the more advanced variety of drones, the company hopes they can fly with pilots on missions and return back to base with them as a team. Ideally, the aircrafts, which house artificial intelligence and can fly autonomously, will soar alongside manned fighter pilots to create crewed-uncrewed teams.
The drones would act as a distraction to draw enemy fire away from the pilot, gather target data and transmit it to the airman, and be armed to help shoot down the enemy or destroy defense systems.
Of course, those advanced iterations will cost a great deal of money. Lockheed will reportedly start with expendable aircraft that have a lower price tag.
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