Kratos's Hypersonic Aussie "Drone"

[Kirkhill]

One pace forward - Two Valkyries in Florida to train with an Experimental Squadron along with Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat and General Atomics’ MQ-20 Avenger, potentially operating with Skyborg.

Air Force pilots to try out XQ-58A Valkyrie drones ahead of potential UAV wingman program - Breaking Defense

“The expectation is that these aircraft can be designed to be less survivable and less capable, but still bring an awful lot to the fight in a mixture that the enemy has a very hard time sorting out and dealing with,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.

breakingdefense.com

US Navy joining the USAF in experimenting with the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. Both services have bought a pair of Valkyries each.

The service's decision to retire its first XQ-58A, which had completed just three flights in its career, and send it to a museum in 2021, also highlighted the low-cost focus of its design. At the time, an Air Force spokesperson told Aviation Week that the drone was never intended to receive “extensive upgrades or repairs."

The Valkyrie's exact current unit cost is unclear. Data Kratos released last year indicated that the individual price point would be around $4 million if 50 were produced annually, but the company has said in the past that could possibly get it below $2 million for production runs of 100 airframes or more.

The Pentagon announced that the Navy had finalized a deal to buy the pair of XQ-58As in a daily contracting notice on December 30, 2022. The contract, which came through Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR) Naval Air Warfare Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and is valued at $15,515,343, covers the production and delivery of the drones, as well as unspecified "sensor and weapon system payloads."

The uncrewed aircraft will be used to "accomplish the penetrating affordable autonomous collaborative killer – portfolio objectives," according to the notice. This will include "non-recurring engineering [services], system/subsystem integration, installation, testing, ground and flight operations, logistics, and maintenance for the UAS as well as government-owned, contractor-operated operations for flight test and demonstration events at government test ranges," it continues. This work is supposed to be completed within the current fiscal year, which ends on September 30.

Navy Buys XQ-58A Valkyries For Secretive 'Killer' Drone Project

Navy XQ-58As loaded with sensors and weapons will help demonstrate autonomous drone capabilities able to penetrate enemy air defenses.

www.thedrive.com

The price makes this reusable platform in the same range as the Tomahawk and other long range PGMs.

 

[Kirkhill]

My rambling skull. In one of the other threads I got to wondering about whether or not the Ukrainians, if they end up with F16s, might not be looking for a fair number of two seaters in the mix. The WSO/Backseater could potentially be a non-flying trade - a UAV manager focused on UAVs, drones and weapons on board.

Which got me to wondering about the Aussies' two seat F18 Growlers with their Loyal Wingman programme.
It also got me taking another look at the F15EX which the US Air Force and the Israeli Air Force want.
The Growler's SEAD role is self-explanatory but the F15 as a bomb truck following in the wake of the F35s didn't make as much sense to me.

On the other hand the F15 is a two seater. The F35 doesn't have a two seat variant. It will take some doing to fly an F35, see and report everything you find with your God's Eye view, and manage a mixed swarm of manned aircraft, UAVs, decoys, drones and cruise missiles.

You could put up a big 737 sized sub-sonic target with a platoon of targeters - or you could fly smaller MUMT with the manager riding shotgun in their own supersonic transport.

 

[dimsum]

The WSO/Backseater could potentially be a non-flying trade - a UAV manager focused on UAVs, drones and weapons on board.

By virtue of the back-seater flying regularly, they would need aircrew medicals and therefore be a "flying trade".

Air Battle Managers (AEC specialty) on AWACS aircraft, while not what most would call an aircrew trade, also do aircrew medicals. Technically they are aircrew, but not flight crew as most of them don't fly regularly.

 

[Kirkhill]

By virtue of the back-seater flying regularly, they would need aircrew medicals and therefore be a "flying trade".

Air Battle Managers (AEC specialty) on AWACS aircraft, while not what most would call an aircrew trade, also do aircrew medicals. Technically they are aircrew, but not flight crew as most of them don't fly regularly.

From a Ukrainian standpoint, would the WSO have to learn how to pilot the aircraft they were riding in or would they just need to meet the medical requirements (on top of their Air Battle Management skills).

Just thinking about two things -

A renewed value in Backseaters
Fielding Backseaters as quickly as possible (possibly converting some from qualified grounds trades).

 

[dimsum]

From a Ukrainian standpoint, would the WSO have to learn how to pilot the aircraft they were riding in or would they just need to meet the medical requirements (on top of their Air Battle Management skills).

WSOs do not learn to fly the aircraft they fly in.

Currently, WSOs are a subset of ACSO (equivalent) in the countries who use them.

 

[Kirkhill]

WSOs do not learn to fly the aircraft they fly in.

That's simpler. Thanks.

So a lawyer could become a WSO?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

That's simpler. Thanks.

So a lawyer could become a WSO?

Pass the course. Sure.

 

[Kirkhill]

USAF emphasizing the "runway independence" of the Valkyrie - RATO launch, Parachute Recovery.

New Shots Of Stealthy XQ-58A Valkyrie Highlight Its Runway Independence

Valkyries, or future derivatives thereof, could be rapidly launched and recovered from remote forward areas, since they don't need runways.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Cruise Missiles, Targets, Drones, UCAVs and Wingmen.

		Length	Range	MTOW	Speed
		m	km	kg	km/h
Boeing	MQ-28	11.7​	3700​
Boeing	MQ-25	15.5​	500​
Boeing	Harpoon	4.6​	310​	691​	864​	Max
Bayraktar	Kizililema	14.7​	930​	6000​	1100​	Max
Kratos	XQ-58A	9.1​	5520​	2727​	890​	Cruise
Kratos	UTAP-22	6.1​	2576​	932​	1124​	Max
Kratos	BQM-167A	6.1​		932​	1124​	Max
Kongsberg	NSM	3.96​	250​	400​	1138​	Max
Taurus	KEPD 350	5​	>500	1400​	1173​	Max
MBDA	Storm Shadow	5.1​	>560	1300​	1000​	Max
Raytheon	Tomahawk	6.25​	>1666	1600​	914​	Max
LocMart	JASSM	4.27​	1900​	1021​	1000​	Max

USAF and Kratos continue working forward on Skyborg

Kratos wins $338m USAF contract for BQM-167A aerial target system

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has secured a contract for BQM-167A Air Force Subscale Aerial Target lots 17-21 production and out-of-warranty repairs.

www.airforce-technology.com

Kratos and USAF remain committed to transition Skyborg to POR

Kratos Defense & Security has expressed commitment to move Skyborg to a Program of Record (POR) and be ready in 2023.

www.airforce-technology.com

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions acquires 5-D Systems

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has announced the acquisition of 5-D Systems, which is a CMMI Level 3 Systems and Software Engineering company.

www.airforce-technology.com

The Canadian Connection - Magellan Aerospace - CRV7, CL-289 and RATO Boosters for the BQM-167s

RATO Booster Motors - Magellan Aerospace

Since 1962, Magellan Aerospace has successfully developed and introduced more than 20 solid propellant rocket motor types and produced over 10 million pounds of composite propellant. From our original booster motor, the CL-289 to the MQM-107 to today’s BQM-167, our product line has...

magellan.aero

The Iranians already exploited this ancient technology

Karrar – Iran’s New Jet-Powered Recce and Attack Drone - Defense Update:

Iran has this week unveiled a new type of turbojet-powered drone designated 'Karrar' (striker - in Farsi), described by Iranian officials as capable to perform long-range reconnaissance and attack missions

defense-update.com

As have the Ukrainians

 

[Kirkhill]

Ukraine Situation Report: U.K. To Give Kyiv "Longer-Range Weapons"

Exactly what long-range weapon system remains unknown, but the U.K. states it is the first country to provide such a capability to Ukraine.

www.thedrive.com

Sunak did not go into detail about what platform or weapon system would give Ukraine long-range capabilities. While suspicion has focused on the Storm Shadow cruise missile and its roughly 250-mile range, the platform could involve a long-range 'suicide drone.' It was recently revealed that such weapons were designed via a secretive U.K. program called KINDRED.


The reported delta-wing kamikaze drone could well give Kyiv the replenishable long-range strike capability it seeks alongside the legacy Soviet-era Tu-141 “Strizh” drones that have been converted into crude cruise missiles. Ukraine also has its shadowy "Alibaba drones" that have been converted from commercial types and used to strike deep into Russia and Crimea since early last Summer. None of these types provide the precision, survivability, and heavy-hitting warhead of the Storm Shadow though.

Clandestine U.K. Program Developed 3D-Printed ‘Suicide’ Drone For Ukraine

The delta-wing drone was just one result of a rapid U.K. development program intended to prove systems for potential use by Ukraine.

www.thedrive.com

I think @KevinB referenced this programme a week or so ago.

 

[KevinB]

Sound like both Storm Shadow and the KINDRED system are planned.
I understood the KINDRED to be an attempt at a cheaper and perhaps longer range system than Storm Shadow - that could be supplied in greater quantities quickly -- but I also could be totally wrong.

 

[Kirkhill]

Sound like both Storm Shadow and the KINDRED system are planned.
I understood the KINDRED to be an attempt at a cheaper and perhaps longer range system than Storm Shadow - that could be supplied in greater quantities quickly -- but I also could be totally wrong.

I don't think it will be long before we find out.

Mebbe Kindred is just a plaform for getting Storm Shadow off the ground and into the air..... Who knows?

 

[KevinB]

I don't think it will be long before we find out.

Mebbe Kindred is just a plaform for getting Storm Shadow off the ground and into the air..... Who knows?

I gather that KINDRED was a cheap less stealthy version of Storm Shadow, more akin to the Iranian Suicide Drones (but actually with a precision targeting ability) - but again - that is just me looking at what has come out - and trying to read between the lines.

 

[Kirkhill]

Back last year the UK withdrew from its Loyal Wingman UCAV efforts declaring that there were cheaper ways of getting the job done.
Presumably it is cheaper to increase the range of a drone, or a cruise missile, and make it intelligent than it is to build a cheaper aircraft.

The United Kingdom government has officially canceled the Mosquito program, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that represented the first step of the Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) programme, whose goal was to build an indigenous Loyal Wingman that can operate alongside the Lockheed Martin F-35 fleet.

«The accumulation of analysis concluded that more beneficial capability and cost-effectiveness appears achievable through exploration of smaller, less costly, but still highly capable additive capabilities,» said the Ministry of Defence in a press release.

United Kingdom cancels Spirit Mosquito Loyal Wingman program

The United Kingdom government has officially canceled the Mosquito program, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that represented the first step of the Ligh

www.aviacionline.com

That gives me to think that the future looks more like this

Or these

 

[dimsum]

That gives me to think that the future looks more like this

The 50s/60s are back!

 

[Kirkhill]

Mebbe making things too complicated - although some of the planes being flown are still from the 1960s.

Ukraine Should Have No Problem Arming Its Old Soviet Jets With New British Cruise Missiles

Most of the work of programming a Storm Shadow takes place on the ground, before a mission. Technicians use Storm Shadow’s Data Programming System to tell the missile where to strike and at what angle.

www.forbes.com

 

[Kirkhill]

USAF starting to come to conclusions?

200 NGAD Fighters and 1000 drone wingmen.

Next gen numbers: Air Force plans 'nominal' buy of 200 NGAD fighters, 1,000 drone wingmen - Breaking Defense

Service acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said the first tranche of collaborative combat aircraft wingmen are “very much within grasp,” with capability expected to be delivered by the end of the decade.

breakingdefense.com

200 NGADs is comparable to the number of F22s built and which the USAF wants to retire. It has difficulty maintaining high readiness levels apparently.

Congress should stop the Air Force from retiring F-22s - Breaking Defense

As China looms, the Heritage Foundation's JV Venable argues for saving 33 F-22s from the chopping block.

breakingdefense.com

1000 drone wingmen contrasts with 1763 F35As that USAF apparently intends to buy.

Air Force Still Wants 1,763 F-35 Jets Despite Cutting Back Next Year

The Air Force’s decision to cut 15 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 jets from its fiscal 2023 budget request is a temporary dip caused by delays in a $14 billion program of upgrades and a need to shift funds to new aircraft and a new engine program, service secretary Frank Kendall said.

www.bloomberg.com

And then there is a wholescale rethink on Air to Air missiles (which would have a knock on effect on GBAD and NASAMS and potentially on the CSC project - NASAMS relies on the existing AIM 9 and AIM 120 as well as the ESSM which is related to the AIM 120).

America has 6 new air-to-air missiles headed for service

With at least six new air-to-air missiles in active development, the United States is about to make the air a lot more dangerous for bad guys.

www.sandboxx.us

AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM)​

Long-Range Engagement Weapon (LREW)​

Peregrine Air-to-Air missile​

Modular Advanced Missile (MAM)​

Lockheed Martin’s Cuda​

Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile (LRAAM)​

https://www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com/what-we-do/air-warfare

Products - MBDA Inc.

MBDA offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.

mbdainc.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Meanwhile Reaper may get its own swarm of smaller

Group 1 and 2 drones—essentially, ones weighing up to a few dozen pounds—would launch from MQ-9 Reapers and perhaps other medium-sized uncrewed aircraft, he said.

The overall vision is to use artificial intelligence and advanced human-machine Interfaces to allow operators to control multiple large and small drones simultaneously. That would help AFSOC troops cover more terrain and hit more targets with a variety of effects, including cyber, electronic warfare, etc.

The Reaper UAV Is Getting Its Own Drone Swarm

Air Force special operators are rigging the venerable uncrewed aircraft with an ISR swarm that may take just one person to control.

www.defenseone.com

 

[Kirkhill]

More on NGAD and Drones

Concept of Operation

• 300 F35s with 600 associated "Drones" (CCA = Collaborative Combat Aircraft) - 1 x F35 and 2x CCA per pilot.
• 200 NGADs wtih 400 associated CCA - again 1 AC and 2x CCA per pilot.

I wonder if the F22 could be employed as an Interim NGAD?

Kendall Reveals New Details on Air Force Plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD Fighters | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall offered new details on how many NGAD fighters and CCAs the service is notionally planning on.

www.airandspaceforces.com

What might a CCA look like?

New Details On The Secretive Air Force Plan For Teaming Fighter Pilots With Drones

Needing to balance solving unknowns about the Collaborative Combat Aircraft against demand for its disruptive abilities is driving decisions.

www.thedrive.com

F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fly in formation with the XQ-58A Valkyrie for the first time - The Aviation Geek Club

F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fly in formation with the XQ-58A Valkyrie for the first time

theaviationgeekclub.com

Following increased Air Force interest, Navy buys its own Valkyrie drones - Breaking Defense

The Air Force started regularly flying the XQ-58 in November at Eglin.

breakingdefense.com

Mako Unmanned Tactical Aerial Platform-22 (UTAP22), US

The Mako UTAP22 is a swarm unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the Kratos’ BQM-167A aerial target system.

www.airforce-technology.com

The US Air Force is turning old F-16s into pilotless AI-powered fighters

Unmanned QF-16s could be used to fly decoy routes to distract from a manned aircraft operating in stealth mode

www.wired.co.uk

Are these things "Combat Aircraft" or are they long range boosters, surface launched cruise missiles carrying submunitions?

In May 2017, the UTAP-22 received the official name Mako.[7] The aircraft costs between $2-$3 million. (Aircraft alone or with ancillary operational kit?)

U.S. Navy Awards Kratos $15.5 Million Contract For 2 XQ-58A Valkyrie UAVs
Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc, Sacramento, California, is awarded a contract in the amount of $15,515.343 (cost-plus-fixed-price) for the procurement and delivery of two XQ-58A unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

The contract covers sensor and weapon system payloads to achieve portfolio goals for breakthrough affordable autonomous cooperative killers, including one-time technical services, system/subsystem integration, installation, testing, ground and flight operations, logistics and maintenance for the UAS, and government contractor-operated operations for flight tests and demonstration events at government test ranges.

So the XQ-58A Valkyrie could be in the same price range as its earlier sister the UTAP-22 Mako.

Tomahawk Cruise Missile Unit cost	$1.87M (FY2017)[6] (Block IV) $2M (FY2022)[7] (Block V)

 

[GR66]

More on NGAD and Drones

Concept of Operation

• 300 F35s with 600 associated "Drones" (CCA = Collaborative Combat Aircraft) - 1 x F35 and 2x CCA per pilot.
• 200 NGADs wtih 400 associated CCA - again 1 AC and 2x CCA per pilot.

I wonder if the F22 could be employed as an Interim NGAD?

Kendall Reveals New Details on Air Force Plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD Fighters | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall offered new details on how many NGAD fighters and CCAs the service is notionally planning on.

www.airandspaceforces.com

What might a CCA look like?

New Details On The Secretive Air Force Plan For Teaming Fighter Pilots With Drones

Needing to balance solving unknowns about the Collaborative Combat Aircraft against demand for its disruptive abilities is driving decisions.

www.thedrive.com

F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fly in formation with the XQ-58A Valkyrie for the first time - The Aviation Geek Club

F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fly in formation with the XQ-58A Valkyrie for the first time

theaviationgeekclub.com

Following increased Air Force interest, Navy buys its own Valkyrie drones - Breaking Defense

The Air Force started regularly flying the XQ-58 in November at Eglin.

breakingdefense.com

Mako Unmanned Tactical Aerial Platform-22 (UTAP22), US

The Mako UTAP22 is a swarm unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the Kratos’ BQM-167A aerial target system.

www.airforce-technology.com

The US Air Force is turning old F-16s into pilotless AI-powered fighters

Unmanned QF-16s could be used to fly decoy routes to distract from a manned aircraft operating in stealth mode

www.wired.co.uk

Are these things "Combat Aircraft" or are they long range boosters, surface launched cruise missiles carrying submunitions?




So the XQ-58A Valkyrie could be in the same price range as its earlier sister the UTAP-22 Mako.

Tomahawk Cruise Missile Unit cost	$1.87M (FY2017)[6] (Block IV) $2M (FY2022)[7] (Block V)

One of the ways I think CCA-type "wingmen" might have a big impact is on engagement ranges in air-to-air combat. The big push currently is for longer range AA missiles, many with lock-on-after-launch capability. In other words launching at extreme range without necessarily having a firm target lock from the launching platform and guiding your missile into the general location of the target where it can then lock on to the target.

If CCAs can be used as a screen to entice the enemy to launch their BVR missiles at them instead of their parent fighters, then the Allied fighters could move within range to get a firm lock with their long range missiles knowing that most of the enemy's own long range missiles have already been expended.

This might discourage attempting lock-on-after-launch attacks in case you're being suckered by drones. This could decrease the average engagement range as pilots will be wanting to wait until they get a firm lock on a confirmed target so they're not wasting their missiles. This might give further advantages to stealthy aircraft as well as those with the better sensors.

Then you add in lots of permutations once you start arming some of the CCAs because then you can't afford to ignore them. These technologies could really change the way that air combat works.