The main purpose of this development improving today’s obsolete aircraft. The fact is that today the most powerful armies in the world use 5th generation jet fighters. These are, for example, the American F-35 and the Chinese J-20. We will see the sixth generation in the next decade. But aircraft of the fourth are still used in the air forces of many countries. Therefore, engineers are trying to bring them back to relevance, increase their military potential and balance the odds in air combat.

What is known about LongShot drones

The LongShot program was launched by General Atomics in 2020. It consists in the development of UAVs with increased efficiency and damage range.

• flying eye equipped with rocket engineis the minimum carrier two air-to-air missiles and can be launched from warplanes.
• There is no data yet about the drone’s control system, flight range, speed and other features.
• It is likely that the drone will not only carry additional weapons but also be itself kamikaze droneIt has the ability to hit targets alone.
• It is currently unclear whether two drones (i.e. four missiles) or just one can be installed on an aircraft at the same time.

Test flights are planned for early 2024. Based on the results obtained, the basic features of UAV control will be evaluated and plans for further modifications will be developed.

As you may remember, the USA is also developing artificial intelligence systems for controlling drones. But not everyone is excited about the idea. Some experts are concerned that people want to delegate decision-making authority to a machine, which they believe could easily make mistakes and choose the wrong target, such as a civilian or non-military object.