Drones - "bodyguards" for fighters will take to the skies next year. Yesterday, December 8, portal defensenews.com reported that under the Skyborg program, the US air force has signed three contracts for the Assembly of guided drones for aircraft.
Key contractors will be Boeing, General Atomics and Kratos. Each of the companies signed a two-year contract for the production and testing of guided drones in the amount of $25.7 million, $14.3 million and $37.8 million, respectively.
Skyborg promo video
All three companies must deliver the first batch of prototypes no later than may 2021. The first stage of flight testing is scheduled to begin in July next year. The US air force intends to complete a full test cycle with the ability to launch mass production of guided drones by 2023.
Previously, four companies participated in the Skyborg tender. Kratos and Boeing have already shown their prototypes. For Kratos, this is the Valkyrie model, for Boeing — BATS. This week, General Atomics held a demonstration of Skyborg technology based on the Avenger drone. But Northrop Grumman dropped out of the competition.