STEPHEN TRIMBLE / ARLINGTON, TEXAS.
The US Air Force wants to raise the goals for a loitering attack platform, and has commissioned Boeing to design an unmanned system that stays aloft for at least 12h, and includes advances in miniature warheads, autonomous in-flight refuelling and datalinks.
Boeing's prototype platform is called the Dominator, a 1.2m (4ft)-long drone with a 3.7m wingspan. The craft is powered by a pusher propeller engine and is steered by canards and morphing wings, says Carl Avila, Boeing Phantom Works director of advanced tactical missile systems.
The prototype vehicle is part of a five-year task order awarded to Boeing in mid-2002 to design the Dominator airframe and produce a concept for the system.Boeing's concept is based on deploying the 45.4kg (100lb) Dominators from Lockheed Martin/Boeing F/A-22s flying at supersonic speeds. The weapons then fly loitering patterns for long periods. The USAF requirement is 12h, but the Boeing prototype is being designed for 48h of operations. Follow-on versions are being discussed that would increase performance to 96h, says Avila.
Separate efforts led by the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) munitions directorate at Eglin AFB, Florida, are under way to design the complete system.
A small advanced skeet-type warhead that can be selectively targeted and is capable of penetrating armour is a key requirement for the programme. To that end, the AFRL plans to work with the US Army's munitions developers in New Jersey on new skeet technology. In addition, Avila confirms that a Textron Defence warhead derived from Sensor Fuzed Weapon technology is considered a candidate for the programme.
The Dominator appears to be a favoured testbed for a mix of new, AFRL-sponsored technologies. One, the Weapons Data Link Architecture programme, which is aimed at developing a compact tactical datalink modelled on the Link 16 system, is being considered for the platform. Another, an unmanned inflight refuelling programme, may also be tested - although Boeing may choose to develop a tanker variant of the Dominator instead.
Source: Flight International
