The Skyborg drone could be ready for missions in 2023 as a robot wingman for human colleagues (Air Force Research Laboratory)
Lt General Shanahan said he had swapped emails with Dr Steven Rogers, a senior scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory, who outlined plans to test an “autonomous system to go up against a human, manned system in some sort of air-to-air” in summer 2021. However, the general added he thought the planned trials where "machine beats human" would have a "hard time" meeting such a tight schedule.
He went on to say that that AI would transform the "character of warfare" in the next 20 years as defence officials adopt the "mindset of a software company".
Dr Rogers has previously told Inside Defence: “Our human pilots, the really good ones, have a couple of thousand hours of experience.
“What happens if I can augment their ability with a system that can have literally million of hours of training time? “How can I make myself a tactical autopilot so in an air-to-air fight, this system could help make decisions on a timeline that humans can’t even begin to think about?”
The Air Force Research Laboratory is also currently working with private firms to develop stealth-type drones that include the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie, an experimental combat aerial vehicle which has a 28ft wingspan and undertook its maiden flight last year.
The megadrone is capable of long-range flights at “high-subsonic” speeds of up to 652mph, which is still slower than a jet, yet much cheaper than the $80 million (£62 million) F-35.
Its role would be to escort fighters and undertake surveillance, but it is also bomb-equipped and could be programmed to fly as part of a drone “swarm”.
Skyborg, another “low cost” unmanned combat aerial vehicle being developed by the US military, could be controlled by a human fight jet pilot so it becomes a robot wingman on missions.
In Britain, the Ministry of Defence previously announced development for the RAF of the Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft, a cost-cutting drone also designed for deployment alongside jets such as the F-35 and Typhoon, to provide protection, survivability” and relay back intelligence to human pilot colleagues via a secure link.
RAF test flights could take place "as early as 2022", the government said.
