According to this standard, it is very strict, and the existing neuron drones in France do not meet this speed standard. Let's take a look at the development of France's Rafale F5 fighter jet. French Defense Minister Sebastian Le Corbyn stated on the 8th at the Saint Di è zier Air Force Base that "preliminary requirements were communicated to relevant companies a few weeks ago." He added that the Rafale F5 fighter jet, which will enter service in the next decade, will be a "real revolution for our air force.
The core of the future version of the Rafale fighter jet is the "leap of interconnection". These fighter jets will be in service until the 1960s. The new fighter jet will be connected to sensors and accompanying drones on the ground, in flight, and in space. Leconi explained, "This drone has excellent stealth performance and can open the way and help penetrate in front of the Rafale fighter jet during missions." He also stated that the project is based on a "neuron" unmanned combat aircraft, but "it will be more ambitious in terms of technology
The basic concept of a wingman.
Fighter aircraft are generally in two-engine formations (there are also special three-engine formations, i.e., one long plane with two wingmen structures).
The wingman is the primary aircraft and the wingman is the secondary aircraft.
The wingman is usually a new pilot, and only the captain is able to actively attack the enemy, the wingman is responsible for covering and observing the rear of the captain, and cannot leave the captain to actively attack the enemy.
The wingman's role is to help the pilot accomplish various tasks.
The wingman's first duty is to protect the captain and allow him to focus all his energies on the attack.
An unmanned wingman is a UAV that replaces the manned wingman. They will have a few details tweaked in their tactical approach, but the basic requirements don't change. The unmanned wingman must have at least adequate flight speed and basic air combat capabilities. When the GJ11 and J20 fly in formation, the J20 can only fly at speeds below Mach 1. When danger comes, the GJ11 has limited air maneuverability and it cannot keep up with the J20's air maneuvering tactics.
Currently, countries are exploring the tactical applications of future UAVs in air combat. The U.S. “loyal wingman” concept is based entirely on the concept of unmanned wingman. China and European countries currently do not have an official name or detailed plans. Therefore, we usually think that the concept of unmanned wingman is based on the above description. If we use the term “unmanned wingman”, we can only analyze it based on the above description.
Of course, unmanned wingmen are only one of the future air combat models, not all of them. Whether China's J20+GJ11 can explore a new mode of air combat, we don't know. But at least for now, it is not appropriate to use the concept of “unmanned wingman” to describe this combination. We can consider it as a new exploration model.
The Dark Sword UAV and the FH-97A are the UAVs designed for “unmanned wingmen”.
