The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) and the General Atomics corporation are researching a new type of LongShot drone. The UAVs under development are to be launched from bomber or fighter aircraft and will be armed with ‘air-to-air’ AAM (Air-to-Air Missile) missiles. The solution is to increase air superiority while reducing the danger to its own pilots.
According to Lt. Col. Paul Calhoun, DARPA program manager, “The LongShot program is changing the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned air-launched vehicle capable of using advanced ‘air-to-air’ weaponry. LongShot will disrupt the traditional incremental mode of weapons enhancement by providing an alternative means of generating combat capability.”
The program is currently in its second phase, which involves reviewing the developed design and demonstrating key subsystems. Planned for 2024, the third phase of the project envisions the development of a flight-capable LongShot prototype.
