General Atomics announced it has been chosen by the Defense Department to develop an advanced
new drone that can be used for air-to-air combat.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA is funding the LongShot program to
produce an unmanned vehicle that can be launched from a bomber and engage enemy aircraft on
its own.
DARPA program manager Lt. Col. Paul Calhoun stated,
“The LongShot program changes the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating
an unmanned, air-launched vehicle capable of employing current and advanced air-to-air
weapons.
Calhoun said, “LongShot will disrupt traditional incremental
weapon improvements by providing an alternative means of generating combat capability,”
In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how DARPA conceived LongShot drone could be a
disruptive force?
Let’s get started.
The program will design, fabricate, and flight test a demonstration system to prove the feasibility
of the LongShot concept.
General Atomics was picked alongside Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to provide preliminary
designs for LongShot’s first phase in February 2021, though DARPA has not yet disclosed if
the other two contractors also are moving forward.
DARPA may have both the US Navy and the US Air Force as potential partners to transition
the effort into an acquisition program.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems stated the following in its announcement:
“GA-ASI is pleased to continue supporting the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) LongShot program.
LongShot changes the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned air-launched
vehicle capable of employing air-to-air weapons.
Current air superiority concepts rely on advanced manned fighter aircraft to provide a penetrating
counter air capability to effectively deliver weapons.
It is envisioned that LongShot will increase the survivability of manned platforms by allowing
them to be at standoff ranges far away from enemy threats, while an air-launched LongShot
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) efficiently “closes the gap” to take more effective
missile shots.
After a successful Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in February 2022 at the end of Phase
1, GA-ASI was selected by DARPA to continue into Phase 2 in March 2022.
During Phase 2, detailed designs are being completed and ground tests conducted to decrease
program risk.
A key test event completed early in Phase 2 was multi-body wind tunnel test, characterizing
the LongShot air vehicle and air-to-air weapon separation.
Critical Design Review (CDR) for the program is planned for early 2023, which will complete
the Phase 2 portion of the program.
GA-ASI is currently generating a proposal response for the third phase of the program.
“GA-ASI is committed to the successful flight demonstration of the LongShot air vehicle,”
said GA-ASI Senior Director of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood.
Upcoming Phase 2 ground tests will demonstrate the viability of key subsystems.
Phase 3 would initiate the prototype manufacturing and flight testing phase of the program.
Flight testing would begin in 2024.”
It is no secret that the US Air Force is interested in pairing drones with aircraft.
A program in that line named Skyborg was launched in 2019.
Skyborg is aimed at developing a family of low-cost drones that can be reused, but are
cheap enough so that losses in combat can be financially and operationally tolerated.
A lot of work has gone into Skyborg Autonomy Core System (ACS) which is the AI brain.
It is also noted that the Next Generation Air Dominance or NGAD fighter will have the
ability to control drones known as collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs).
The CCAs are planned to fill roles like carrying additional missiles, providing extra sensor
coverage or even taking a hit from an enemy in the place of a piloted aircraft.
Anti-access Area-denial (A2/AD) systems refuse U.S. forces the ability to come within hundreds
or even thousands of miles of an enemy’s territory.
These capabilities include advanced integrated air defense systems with long-range engagement
capabilities able to target and shoot down aircraft from hundreds of miles away, an example
will be the Russian S-400.
In this situation, LongShot would be a disruptive force.