FEAR THE GHOST
US plans for ‘Ghost Bat’ AI jet fighter DRONE to draw fire from Russian Top Guns…before blasting them out of the sky
Scroll down to see the key features of the Ghost Bat
A NEW generation of AI-piloted jet fighter drones could be the US' secret weapon in potential future conflicts with China and Russia.
The US Air Force said it intends to have fighter drones serve as decoys to draw enemy fire - before blasting its rivals out of the sky.
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More than 1,000 of the super-fighter drones are expected to be in production by 2028, with The Pentagon soon to select a shortlist from five companies competing for the project.
The unit price of the initial batch will cost about $20.5-$27.5million (£16.1-£21.6million), according to US Air Force secretary Frank Kendall.
One of the fighter drones predicted to make the shortlist is the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force.
The multi-mission drone, named after a predatory Australian bat, was designed to act as a "loyal wingman" for manned fighter aircraft by flying ahead of the parent aircraft, seeking out threats, and opening fire on enemy aircraft when necessary.
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It measures 38 feet long, has a 24 feet wingspan, and can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles at subsonic speeds.
Boeing said on its website that the MQ-28 will offer "fighter-like performance", using AI to fly independently or with crewed aircraft and integrating sensor packages onboard to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and tactical early warning missions.
Other proposed drones include the Fury, developed by California-based technology company Anduril, and Gambit by General Atomics.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the two other companies involved in the competition, are yet to reveal their designs.
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US Air Force secretary Frank Kendall said the US was moving with a "sense of urgency" on its programme to produce the AI-piloted fighter drones, dubbed the Collaborative Combat Aircraft project.
The decision to fast-track new fighter drones comes amid rising tensions between the US and rival powers China and Russia, and as the war in Ukraine - where the use of drones has become an important element of combat operations - rages on.
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The US Air Force plans for the programme to involve the deployment of several different types of fighter drones for missions including strikes, surveillance, electronic jamming - and to serve as decoys to draw enemy fire.
A spokeswoman for the US Air Force, Ann Stefanek, said: "Collaborative combat aircraft are being designed to work in conjunction with current and next-generation aircraft to provide operational flexibility in achieving air superiority," reports.
She said $392million (£309million) was being invested in the program this year, with further funding expected to be announced next week.
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