This appears to be the drone project that Gavin Williamson suggested in February – to much bemusement – would be deployed by the end of this year. Rather than being directly controlled, this type of drone flies autonomously sharing data and information via the main aircraft.
US companies Boeing and Kratos are already developing these types of drones, although they are far larger than the one envisioned by the Mosquito programme. jamming radars), laser guiding weapons onto targets, or even to carry out air-to-air or air-to-ground strikes.
The concept of a ‘loyal wingman’ drone is to fly alongside or slightly ahead of military aircraft and to work in conjunction with that aircraft to undertake various tasks, such as surveillance, electronic warfare (i.e. “Our aim is to get something in the air before 2023”. Flight reported:įollowing a one-year development phase, at least one bidder will be selected to build and fly a demonstrator, says Peter Stockel, innovation autonomy challenge lead at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Blue Bear, Boeing, and Callen-Lenz have 12 months to design a ‘remote-carrier’ or ‘loyal wingman’ type drone that could accompany the UK’s Typhoon, F-35 or FCAS/Tempest aircraft.
#UAV DRONE UK MOD#
MosquitoĪt the International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in late July, the MoD announced that through the RAF’s ‘Rapid Capabilities Office’ it had awarded contracts to three companies/consortium to develop a new type of unmanned drone under a project named ‘Mosquito’. While the primary focus for UK military drone operations has been around larger systems like Reaper, the forthcoming ‘Protector’ and Watchkeeper the UK is increasingly funding the development of smaller drones to engage in war-fighting roles. The UK’s ‘Mosquito’ is being developed under the MoD’s LANCA programme
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