Dream Come true!

Just read something I didn't think i'd read...Australia IS acquiring the Loyal Wingman Drone!
Some may remember my basic defence plan for Australia, and it included this drone, but thought it unlikely, with the cost blow out of the 35s we would balk at the extra expense of the little brother drone...And yet...heres the news!

Australia unveils new Loyal Wingman drone

 

Jeez, what a tease! I thought this was about Jessica Alba in a bikini and a week in the Caribbean!

 

..thank you for posting this.....I'm way behind on present technology ....very interesting
..but who would want to attack friendly/polite/nice/etc Australia??....I say that with tongue in cheek and seriously....who would be your main/dangerous enemy--China? ..and others?

 

There’s a few countries to our north who could give us a headache...Indonesia, Malaysia...and a couple of others. Australia has always tried to be the dominant force in our region, one needs the teeth to back it up...We need to show our allies we are serious, and be able to add value to any force.

 

...your forces have '''always''' done well....the Kokoda Track for example--that was tough ......it is always my thought that a well trained, motivated force with mediocre weapons are better than a poorly trained, unmotivated force with great weapons

 

Vietnam was a good example...

 

CAC I was figuring a dream come true was something more like this...who's you'll friends???

 

Not a dud amongst them...

 

I was trying to keep it classy, didn't want to get the youngun's over-excited!

 

Yeah saw this last night...I sent a message to the RAAF saying this was monumental, historic and the beginning of the future so many of us have been waiting for.
They replied that "Its an interesting project for sure!"
Fark! C'mon get excited you c..ts!



I still think that a fake cockpit canopy should be a part of the design, so that it doesn't look so droney...

 

I promise you, I will be properly excited...When they go operational.
However, development times for state-of-the-art weapon systems have been getting longer, and tend to be less than combat ready at introduction.

Cockpits are indiscernable at mach 2 closing speeds.

 

Yeah, won’t matter in terms of radar...but there are sight AA weapons still...if a part of this drone’s tasks include taking the hit over the ‘mother’ F35 then it should look similar, at least not like a drone.

 

Again, your looking at still photographs. If this is closing you position on the ground at 650 mph at some thousands of feet, your not going to be able to tell the difference in the few seconds you have to fire on it.

Then again, regardless...if it has a cockpit, it's firing weapons at you. If it has no cockpit, it is firing weapons at you. You shoot back. Nuff said.

Further, IR and anti-radiation missiles don't care about cockpits.

 

And with respect, your not thinking full spectrum of air scenarios. There are still AA that fires missiles and is guided by the eye (closed circuit optically tracked - or wire guided)...there are still 20 and 40mm cannon AA...for a reason.
I’m sure it will fire weapons, this isn’t about its potency or even it’s ability to survive...it’s about drawing fire from the mother aircraft.
I will admit this is a 1-5 percenter...just an idle wish.

 

Hmmm...I think they will be all purpose, it not straight away, then eventually. If they can perform the task they will be given it before a human and seriously expensive F35. We can and will make the drones in Australia...we can’t make the F35...not yet anyway : )
I think the US will deploy these and others in their own way...I look forward to see what Australia has in store for ours.
I do like your idea of painting on, or otherwise cover the top (solar panels even) the shape of a cockpit. A simpler (always better) idea that I had of putting some of the avionics inside the small canopy bubble freeing up some room.