How General Atomics views Europe’s unmanned future
In this fireside chat, Dave Alexander of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems talks through his company's strategy for the European market.
In this fireside chat, Dave Alexander of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems talks through his company's strategy for the European market.
Germany has set a target of 2029 to field a CCA, which would make it the first European country to reach such a milestone, but that timeline now looks to be in doubt.
The YFQ-48A performed fully autonomous “taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers and landing” over the Mojave Desert in California, according to Northrop Grumman.
Breaking Defense's roundtable looks into a crystal ball to discuss the more distant future for the continent's air forces.
With one sixth-gen fighter program in Europe dead, could the future for European airpower be drones?
“It’s going to take 15 or 20 years to get those types of people,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Clark Quinn.
There is no single answer to the drone threat, pushing the Pentagon toward a broader mix of defenses.
“We will not have a cold start to start production in [20]27. We will have assets rolling through. That said, even a company like ours can only do so much without procurement dollars,” said Erin Simpson, Anduril's vice president for strategy execution.
Troy Meink didn't elaborate on what "weapons" the US deployed, but revealed new info on other space and unmanned Air Force programs.
Lockheed now plans to build five Vectis prototypes, with the first on track to fly in 2027.
Pitched for the Massed Modular Aircraft program run by the Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit, General Atomics says its new drone design can exceed requirements set by the Pentagon to succeed the MQ-9A Reaper.
FCAS? GCAP? Upgraded Eurofighter Typhoons? The Breaking Defense roundtable walks you through the options on the table.
“There's no doubt if we try and pursue the exact same approach that we had with things like the MQ-9, we're going to get something that costs about the same as an MQ-9,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi.
The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments' Greg Malandrino argues in this op-ed that a fight with China will require CCAs for defense as well as offense.