The beginning of this month saw major developments in Boeing Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) advanced technology Loyal Wingman uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) programme. On the first day of the month, it was announced that the first Loyal Wingman had successfully conducted its maiden flight. And within only a couple of days of that, the Australian Department of Defence had signed a $115-million three-year contract with the company for three more of the aircraft, which took the number ordered so far to six, including the first example.

The first flight of the UAV was conducted at Australia’s Woomera Range Complex, in the state of South Australia, and was supervised by a Boeing test pilot from a ground control station. On its first flight, the Loyal Wingman took off from a runway and then followed a preplanned course, at varying speeds and altitudes, to check flight functionality and demonstrate the performance of the design.

Loyal Wingman is the first military aircraft designed, engineered and assembled in Australia in more than 50 years. It is also the first military aircraft to be designed and built by Boeing outside the US. It is being developed under a concept Boeing calls the ‘Airpower Teaming System’, under which it would, using artificial intelligence (AI), operate with other aircraft, both crewed and uncrewed, in a coordinated, integrated and complementary manner.

“The Loyal Wingman’s first flight is a major step in this long-term, significant project for the Air Force and Boeing Australia, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the successful test,” affirmed RAAF Head of Air Force Capability Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Cath Roberts. (AVM is equivalent to Major-General in South Africa.) “The Loyal Wingman project is a pathfinder for the integration of autonomous systems and AI to create smart human-machine teams.”

“Boeing and Australia are pioneering fully integrated combat operations by crewed and uncrewed aircraft,” highlighted Boeing Defence, Space & Security president and CEO Leanne Caret. “We’re honoured to be opening this part of aviation’s future with the RAAF, and we look forward to showing others how they also could benefit from our Loyal Wingman capabilities.”

The second order for the UAV will advance the aircraft design maturation process, as well as the development of its current and future payloads. It will also allow the creation of the UAV’s operational sustainment system. And it will promote the development of advanced concepts for the Airpower Teaming System by means of digital testing and demonstration.

“The Australian government’s continued investment in the innovative Loyal Wingman programme will create jobs and opportunities for over 35 Australian suppliers and small businesses, including BAE Systems Australia, RUAG Australia, AME Systems and Ferra Engineering,” pointed out Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific president Dr Brendan Nelson. Boeing refers to the Loyal Wingman and its associated systems and capabilities as the Airpower Teaming System.

“In addition to progressing the air vehicle design and support system, we will further develop the aircraft’s mission system, including advanced AI decision-making capabilities and new payloads,” reported Boeing Airpower Teaming System programme director Dr Shane Abbott. “Continued digital engineering and significantly expanded live testing of the system will provide [the] RAAF and Boeing with the ability to jointly take the concept to the next level, activities that are critical for us to rapidly understand how the Airpower Teaming System can be employed in the future battlespace.”

Further, and separately, Boeing in the US has confirmed that the Loyal Wingman would serve as the basis for the group’s bid for the US Air Force’s Skyborg UAV programme. Boeing is one of three companies, the others being General Atomics and Kratos, that have been awarded contracts to produce test UAVs for Skyborg, which, like Loyal Wingman, seeks to develop relatively low-cost autonomous AI UAVs which could operate alongside crewed fighters in contested environments.

The basic Loyal Wingman is a semi- autonomous UAV, so it does not have to be remotely piloted, and is intended to be much cheaper than a crewed aircraft. It has a length of 11.5 m and, reportedly, a range of 3 700 km. Should it prove successful, full-scale production for the RAAF could start around 2025.