Airbus has just released the Wingman drone concept which will be a companion to manned fighter aircraft. This drone can be controlled from a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet. The design that appears looks cool and very futuristic, like a stealth fighter jet. Airbus in its report said that this design would be presented at the ILA International Airshow in Berlin, Germany. The company explains that in military aviation, a “Wingman” is a pilot of another aircraft who protects and supports the flight leader, offering more tactical options and thereby contributing to mission success. In the Airbus concept, the Wingman would operate in the same way. But this plane is not manned, aka it is not a fighter jet flown by a pilot. “This is a combat-type drone that would be commanded by a pilot in today’s fighter aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. “Drones can perform high-risk mission tasks that would pose a greater threat to exclusively manned aircraft,” Airbus wrote. The 1:1 model that will be shown from 5 to 9 June at ILA, continued Airbus, is similar to the “show car” used as a design exercise by the automotive industry. The Wingman model features all the necessary capabilities such as low observability, integration of multiple weapons, advanced sensors, connectivity and teaming solutions. As with any “show car,” not everything on display makes it to series production. In this regard, the model on display at ILA Berlin will serve as a basis and catalyst for driving design requirements for each generation of Wingman, Airbus added. Based on the current concept, Wingman aims to augment the capabilities of current manned combat aircraft with an unmanned platform that can carry weapons and other effectors. “The German Air Force has expressed a clear need for unmanned aircraft that can fly and support its manned fighter missions before the Future Combat Air System becomes operational in 2040,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defense and Space. “Our Wingman concept is the answer. “We will further encourage and refine these German-made innovations so that we can ultimately offer the German Air Force affordable solutions with the performance needed to maximize effect and double the strength of its combat fleet by the 2030s,” he added. Wingman drones will carry out reconnaissance tasks to lock targets and attack targets on the ground or in the air with precision-guided ammunition or missiles. The pilot of a manned aircraft acting as “commander” will always have mission control. They are the ones who have the authority to make final decisions. Wingman will provide protection and a reduction in the delegation of tactical tasks to unmanned systems. Another goal is to increase strength to be able to match the number of opposing troops in a conflict. @MilitaryUpdate @IsraelDefenseForces #armyrangers #military #armyranger #navy #army #usarmytraining #marine #usarmy #airforce