Technical characteristics of a secret US stealth drone that will imitate Russian and Chinese fighters have been revealed (photo)
American developers created the 5GAT UAV back in 2006. It was planned that the inexpensive drone would be low-profile and have a set of capabilities of modern fighters in service with the terrorist states of Russia and China.
However, little is currently known about the US Air Force’s secret drone, National Interest reports.
Little is known about the 5th Generation Air Target (5GAT) program, which is why it is classified. Nevertheless, the journalists managed to find out something. The program was launched in 2006, but was postponed in 2020 after the first test flight of the drone crashed. In mid-2023, the program was renewed. The developers were awarded a contract worth USD 77 million.
“This relatively inexpensive drone was designed specifically to mimic platforms such as the Chinese J-20 and Russian Su-57. It could become the basis for a very powerful guided drone working in tandem with fighter aircraft,” the authors write.
The journalists managed to find a PowerPoint presentation from 2012, which states that the length of the UAV is 12 meters and the wingspan is 7.3 meters. The 5GAT belongs to the “12,000-pound class” in terms of gross takeoff weight. Another Air Force presentation reveals performance requirements, specifying a maximum altitude of 13.7 km and a mission time of 2 hours.
As explained by Stephen Brandt of the US Air Force Academy, the 5GAT has the dimensions of a T-38 trainer aircraft. The target drone is equipped with two training engines from the T-38. The motors in question are General Electric J85-5A, which suggests that the platform is capable of supersonic flight, as the T-38 is capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 1.3. However, according to an interview with Flight Global by Sierra Technical Services President Roger Hayes, the UAV’s design was not optimized for this purpose.
“Fighter jets don’t have this kind of extreme overload, and the 7.5G overload will allow the 5GAT drone to simulate some very complex maneuvers. Judging by the rendering from Sierra Engineering Services, the drone is either already equipped or will soon be equipped with a countermeasures module that will allow it to launch flares in an attempt to confuse incoming radar or infrared-guided missiles. This capability, combined with stealth technology, high speed and maneuverability, could make the UAV a very difficult target,” the authors noted.
