Incorporating UCAVs into air-to-air combat

Bonza

Super Moderator
Staff member
Given the pace of military robotics development, it's inevitable that future UCAV systems are incorporated into the air-to-air role in some fashion. I was curious if any of the more informed people around these parts have any thoughts on how this will progress?

From what I understand the Boeing Wedgetail has been tested as a controller aircraft for multiple UAVs. It isn't much of a leap to think this could represent a part of a potential near future air-to-air system, an AWACs aircraft processing information and assigning targets via datalink to nearby UCAVs with AMRAAM-D/JDRADM/etc payloads.

I don't know much about datalink tech (would love to learn more), but AWACS-cued missile launch sounds reasonably straightforward (relatively speaking). Please correct me if I'm wrong, and besides that I'm not sure if BVRAAM integration is even on the list for current UCAV designs. But is this the kind of shape unmanned aerial warfare could take in the near future, or will it be something we will only see fully developed in the UCAV generation after next (post X-47b/nEUROn/etc)?
 
Top