Something else I’ve never heard of

On a completely different subject.  More and more of this stuff is creeping out into the open.

Unmanned fighters

Looks like the USAF is fully committed to these.  A 2023 initial deployment would be an amazing accomplishment and would completely change risk analysis in regard to kinetic use of force.

The future is coming

and fast.  I expect within 5 years the USAF will have these systems entering service.

I still find it very interesting

that the USN’s first autonomous aircraft are going to be refueling aircraft.  There is more here than meets the eye.

Syria heating up

I noted here the Russian and Syrian aircraft and helicopter losses in the Syrian civil war.  Well, in a timely addition to that information, it appears that someone shot down a Turkish drone/UAV which allegedly led Turkish F-16s to down two Syrian Su-24s as well as destroy a SAM site.

UPDATE: And apparently the Turkish Air Force has now downed a Syrian L-39.

The changing battlefield

The USAF is developing a UAV that is capable of being launched and recovered by a large airborne transport aircraft. The X-61A is planned to be configurable to any number of missions from recon to SAM suppression.  If the technology pans out, and there is no reason to think it won’t, the number of manned aircraft over the battlefields of tomorrow will shrink dramatically. Also, modern air defense will get a ton more complicated.

I want this

Yes, I know I say this too much.  I want this.

X-61A

I had never heard of this program before now.  Interesting technology, though sometimes I think that the defense industry does some things just to prove it can rather than being a real increase in capability.

China’s high speed recon drone

Article here.  The recent Chinese military parade celebrating the PRC’s 70th anniversary is revealing a lot of interesting military equipment.  One of the most interesting is a rocket powered drone that is somewhat reminiscent of the US air-breathing DR-21.  I’d love to build one of these when someone inevitably comes out with a kit.

China

China held a military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the communist revolution.  Lots of interesting photos of drones and missiles and stuff.