2) Barrakuda:
3) Corax:
Posted on 03/27/2006 3:40:34 PM PST by spetznaz
In Europe, several robotic warplanes ( the Neuron, the Barrakuda and the Corax) are under development. These UACV (Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles) concepts began in the Untied States, but Europe wants to remain competitive with the U.S. military aircraft industry. All three programs include stealth features, and aim on playing in the same league as the American J-UCAS (Joint Unmanned Combat Aerial System). This program includes the Boeing X45C and the Northrop Grumman X47B Pegasus . These European projects are the first foreign competitors for the American robotic warplane work.
The Neuron project is a six nation European effort, which is for research, not development of a system for regular service. Instead , the $480 million project should only produce a flying prototype by 2010. This effort should keep the European aerospace design offices busy and maintain and further improve their know how for upcoming years. In this timeframe no new tactical combat aircraft programs will be launched in Europe, due to the recent introduction of the Eurofighter and the Rafale. The work on the Neuron should establish a cooperative network of European industrial teams, capable of integrating advanced technologies in a single manned or unmanned platform for replacement of existing systems after 2030.
The Barrakuda project is already several steps ahead of the Neuron project. The joint German-Spanish, and possible Swiss, Barrakuda conducted first taxi tests on the 26 January 2006. The aircraft has a wingspan of 29 feet and an overall length of 31 feet, with a projected weight of 5.5 tons. Although the producing company EADS describes the Barrakuda rather as a test bed for new technologies, than an already frozen design, the program might be the first step towards a replacement of the German reconnaissance Tornados after 2010.
The last competitor within this European group is the British Corax UACV. The UK perceives the Joint Strike Fighter as the last manned platform for its Air Force, which will eventually replaced by an UCAV. The Corax, which undertook its maiden flight already in 2004, is as a technology demonstrator a first milestone towards the development of a series model to replace manned platforms at the end of their expected life cycle around 2030 to 2050. – Joachim Hofbauer
2) Barrakuda:
3) Corax:
X-45A:
X-45C:
If there was ever an argument AGAINST the F-22, it is some iteration of these babies.
"six nation European effort"
What a bunch of losers.... six nations?
For some reason, I'm having difficulty focusing on the plane.
bump
I can see bent willie taking this picture to the bathroom with him.
The next gen. fighters are mostly planned as remote jobs.
Of course, remote, robotic aircraft generally are dependent upon an uplink. Counter measures in the future may focus on defeating that link.
ping.
Europe is certainly lagging behind Israel's UCAV efforts, and is probably lagging China and India's UCAV's, too.
Since 1991 the U.S. has shown the world that Hyper-War is something that no one else can match. Ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, stealth fighters, stealth bombers, UAVs, satellites, co-ordinated carrier/sub/land-based assaults, and thoroughly integrated command-n-control.
In Afghanistan and Iraq we've given the world a taste of the future: swarms of 1,000 or more UCAV's. Today in Iraq the U.S. is flying 1,000 UAV's every day. This is present-tense.
Our F-22 is operational in the field, too.
Next, we'll be showing the world sub-orbital and orbital fighters/bombers. 20 years after we display our first sub-orbital fighter in public, we'll have a military base on the Moon (and a nuclear presence on Mars - far away from potential electronic interference/surveillence).
In contrast, only a handful of nations have fielded technology that the U.S. was using in combat in 1945 (e.g. atomic weapons). Only 2 other nations have put their own men in Space, something that the U.S. has been doing since 1961. No other nation has even *been* to the Moon (save for a couple of Soviet robots).
Stealth aircraft, which no one else is yet fielding, will be outdated by video-targeted missiles by the time another nation has viable competition to the F-22. For the rest, consider the benchmarks of atomic weapons, men in Space, and a man on the Moon to obtain a ballpark figure for the time-lag between U.S. versus foreign competition.
That's a poor defense against UCAV's.
Keep in mind that the first UCAV's were autonomous cruise missiles...something that the U.S. and Germany have been fielding since the 1940's. Break the uplink and you've simply taken away the *recall* and target-changing options for said combat vehicle...the original target is still going to get hit by the autonomous portion of any UCAV.
Somebody successfully hacks your command channel -- suddenly your planes are now HIS planes
We should also pay attention to the "Battlestar Galactica" scenario: enemy agents infiltrating software development teams, and inserting code that cause glitches upon receiving a certain signal from the enemy.
And let's hope the beasties don't run Windows...
Just asking but what could possably be the point of a
nuclear presence on Mars?
Nuclear energy, not weapons. The purpose would be for long-term energy in a place immune from spying.
None, today.
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