General Atomics to develop missile-armed drone to be launched from fourth-generation fighter jets
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected a company to develop a drone for launching from a fighter jet. The choice fell on General Atomics.
The American company will create an unmanned aerial vehicle as part of the LongShot program. The drone will be armed with air-to-air missiles, and fighter jets will serve as a launch platform.
In the summer, General Atomics won a contract for the third phase of the LongShot program. The company can receive up to $94 million. The new design will be demonstrated at the Air Force Association next week.
The new concept is aimed primarily at expanding the capabilities of fourth-generation fighters. Drones equipped with air-to-air missiles will be able to increase the range and efficiency of missions. This was stated by C. Mark Brinkley, a representative of General Atomics. In fact, he repeated DARPA’s announcement from February 2021.
So far, there are no official statements on which aircraft the new UAVs will be used with. The same applies to weapons. However, the rendering shows the launch of an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and an F-15 Eagle fighter jet.
In addition to increasing the range, LongShot will increase the survivability of manned aircraft. DARPA believes that the new drones will be useful for both the US Air Force and the US Navy.
General Atomics was able to beat two strong competitors: Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The company plans to receive $44 million for the project development in 2024. The list of goals includes creating a test model, demonstrating missile launches, and integrating it into a fighter jet.
