Several defense firms unveiled new ‘wingmen’ aircraft designed to accompany fighter jets at the ILA Berlin airshow as European nations begin to rearm.
As conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, the US and European countries have increased their focus on developing and procuring unmanned AI-powered drones to complement their fighter jets and carry extra sensors, jammers, and weapons.
At ILA Berlin, the world’s oldest airshow and one of the most important aerospace trade fairs, several defense firms unveiled their latest designs to Western militaries last week.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), also known as wingman aircraft, range in size from small interceptors to planes. They fly in what is known as a “loyal wingman” system to accompany manned fighter jets such as the F-35.
Unlike traditional military drones that are remotely operated by human crews for isolated surveillance, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) are autonomous, jet-powered "wingmen" driven by artificial intelligence to fly in direct, high-speed combat formations alongside human fighter pilots.
Interest in the technology comes as European powers debate over building their own sovereign defense capabilities that are less reliant on the US.
“The AI agent, of course, the brain of these systems, needs to be controlled in a sovereign fashion,” Stephanie Lingmann, head of air domain at the German startup Helsing, told Reuters at the airshow.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated how electronic warfare can be as impactful as kinetic weapons systems.
Boeing Australia, Rheinmetall unveil new Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Boeing Australia and German defense contractor Rheinmetall collaborated to build their own CCA, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, which they unveiled at the Berlin airshow.
“It can go out ahead of crewed platforms, provide situational awareness, analyze data, it can fuse that data and provide decision-making quality information back to a human,” the managing director for Boeing Australia, Amy List, told Reuters reporters at ILA Berlin.
Wingman aircraft are a relatively new technology and have not yet been seen on the battlefield. Although General Atomics says its CCA, the YFQ-42A, is ready to go.
“We have certainly spoken to Germany many, many times about our CCA and what there is to offer,” General Atomics spokesperson C. Mark Brinkley told Breaking Defense. “It’s the most advanced CCA in the world. We don’t need to go to block whatever to add a weapons bay and all the rest, we’re ready today.”
General Atomic’s CCA is in testing and has already been selected by the US Air Force to receive funding for prototype development.