XQ-58A Valkyrie “loyal wingman” drone, built by Kratos for Air Force Research Lab
AFA 2019: First there were ‘pitch days’ for start-ups to demo their new ideas to the Air Force. Next there will be “connect-a-thons” where industry is invited every four months to test platforms, devices or applications that might work with the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) — the crucial foundation for enabling multi-domain command and control (MDC2), says the service’s acquisition czar Will Roper.
This innovative model for rapidly developing ABMS as the “connective tissue” to link platforms to each other and to shooters will be first demonstrated in four months, Roper said. It will also, as close observers of the Air Force know, help build the first versions of what will become Multi Domain Operations.
“What we are going to use is a Skyborg attritable drone, a cheap attritable aircraft, to link an F-22 and an F-35 that speak two different languages,” he explained. “We want to use the attritable drone to be the universal translator for both, or if you like the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the ‘babel fish’ to talk to both, and we’re even going to push the connection down to a tablet on the ground to simulate a soldier being there.”
The sinister-sounding Skyborg program emerged from the Strategic Capabilities Office program called Avatar, Roper said. Avatar is also known as the “loyal wingman” concept that would give drones a measure of autonomy to carry weapons, jammers and other systems and to work in tandem with fighter jets.
Breaking D will remember that the Air Force Research Laboratory in March demonstrated one such “loyal wingman” drone, the XQ-58A Valkyrie was built by Kratos. And colleague Valerie Insinna at Defense News reported in May that Roper told lawmakers Valkyrie would be transitioned to the Skyborg prototype program, albeit with new where the drone will be outfitted with new sensors and payloads to enable it to network to the piloted aircraft. (For details about Valkyrie, see Sydney’s video from yesterday.)
The “connect-a-thon” concept will allow interested Air Force programs offices and industry to “come with anything they’re working on that they’re envisioning to be part of ABMS” and see if it actually works. (Theresa Hitchens).
