(Luft) General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16

[Schneemann]

Interessante Sache: Quasi übernimmt die F-35 die eigentliche Luftsicherungsrolle, die unbemannte F-16 bekämpft die stark verteidigten Ziele alleine, wobei der mögliche Verlust eher als bei einer bemannten Variante mit einkalkuliert werden kann...

The Air Force Turned an F-16 Fighter Into a Drone

The U.S. Air Force turned an F-16 fighter into an autonomous combat drone capable of flying combat missions on its own and then returning to fly alongside a manned aircraft. The program, known as "Have Raider II," could lead to older U.S. fighters acting as semi-disposable wingmen for more modern planes, conducting missions too dangerous for manned aircraft to carry out. [...]

During the exercises, the F-16 planned and executed an air strike according to "mission priorities and available assets." The F-16 also managed "dynamically react to a changing threat environment" while managing "capability failures, route deviations, and loss of communication". [...]

In the future, Loyal Wingman could see a single F-35 accompanied by one or more autonomous F-16s on a strike mission. As the aircraft near the target, autonomous F-16s could be dispatched to take out advanced air defense systems. Survivors could then join up with the F-35 and proceed to strike the main target. Future wingmen could be purpose-built stealthy drones, but for now the Air Force has plenty of F-16s that are free, the only cost being to convert them to operate autonomously.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military...raider-ii/

Schneemann.