Boeing, General Atomics and Kratos will create prototypes for the Air Force's Skyborg program and will have just five months to build the first test vehicles for the autonomous combat drone.
As part of the Skyborg program, the Air Force hopes to build a family of low-cost, attractive drones that can be reused but are inexpensive enough that combat losses can be tolerated financially and operationally. The project aims to produce a family of screwless aerial systems that can move in contested spaces and conduct aerial missions that may be too dangerous for human pilots to undertake.
The Air Force announced the award of contracts on Dec. 7 to the three companies that will produce prototypes for the air vehicle portion of Skyborg and compete in a series of experiments in hopes of winning a production contract.
Three companies are under contract for a two-year performance period:
• Boeing, which received $25,7 million;
- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which received $14,3 million;
• Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., which received $37,8 million.
Military officials expect the first prototypes to be delivered by May 2021 for the first flight tests. The prototypes will then move on to flight trials starting in July 2021, which will test each drone's ability to mate with manned aircraft, the service said in a press release.
“This award is a huge step forward for our revolutionary Skyborg capability – this award ing our operational experimentation is truly where concepts become reality”, said Brig. Gen. Dale White, chief of the Air Force's program executive office for fighters and advanced aircraft, which isters the program along with the Air Force Research Laboratory.
A key differentiator between Skyborg and previous combat drone programs is the development of artificial intelligence that will allow the aircraft to operate autonomously and potentially learn from previous training missions.
In recent months, the program has focused on developing the technologies needed for the “Autonomous Central System”, the hardware and software that will allow the Skyborg drone to operate semi-independently of a human operator, who will be able to issue commands but not will have to physically fly the system. The system is being designed by Leidos, using input from the Air Force and other Skyborg suppliers.
After the prototypes are delivered, the Air Force will equip them with this autonomy module. The three prototype manufacturers must also prove that their aircraft are capable of incorporating payloads and mission systems supplied by 10 other companies under contract to provide capabilities for the Skyborg program.
In July and September, the Air Force awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract worth up to $400 million to establish a pool of 13 suppliers that would compete to offer Skyborg hardware and software – everything from the drones themselves to sensors, weapons and algorithms.
These companies include: AeroVironment Inc., Autonodyne LLC, BAE System Controls Inc., Blue Force Technologies Inc., Fregata Systems Inc., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, NextGen Aeronautics Inc., Northrop Grumman, Sierra Technical Services, and Wichita State University, as well like the three companies used to build prototype air vehicles.
“There will be competition throughout the duration of these awards. The effort will consist of multiple phases, intended to continue the assessment of supplier performance”, claims the service.
