Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle

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J-UCAS Boeing X-45A UCAV technology demonstrator

The Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) or "combat drones" is the name of a new class of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that have been designed to carry out air strikes.

Current UCAV concepts call for an aircraft which would be able to operate virtually autonomously. It will be programmed with route and target details, and conduct the mission without help from human controllers on the ground. For various reasons, however, current designs incorporate a "man in the loop," meaning that a ground controller must authorize weapons release.

[edit] Current UCAV Concepts

Dassault nEUROn the stealth "European UCAV technology demonstrator". (official CG concept by Dassault)

Alenia Aeronautica Sky-X
J-UCAS - A joint DARPA/USAF/USN program incorporating two designs:
- Boeing X-45 UCAV (TD)
- Northrop-Grumman X-47 Pegasus
Hunter-Killer Project, five designs:
- Scaled Composites Model 395
- Scaled Composites Model 396
- General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
- Aurora Flight Sciences/Israel Aircraft Industries Eagle/Heron 2
- Unnamed Lockheed Martin entry
Dassault nEUROn stealth UCAV (TD)
Denel Aerospace Systems UCAV-TD (TD)
Israel Aircraft Industries Eitan

Note: Some of these are not aircraft prototypes but technology demonstrators (TD) that are not expected to enter service.

The J-UCAS UCAV would use stealth technologies and carry precision-guided weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) or precision miniature munitions, such as the Small-Diameter Bomb to suppress enemy air defenses.

Controllers could use real-time data sources, including satellites, to plan for and respond to changes on and around the battlefield.

The United States Air Force has shifted its UCAV program from medium-range tactical strike aircraft to long-range strategic bombers.[1]. The technology of the Long Range Strike program is based on the Lockheed Martin Polecat demonstrator.

The French Air Force is also expected to start fielding the Dassault Neuron by 2010.

The Israeli Air Force plans to procure a large long-range UCAV that resembles a fighter-jet. The Israeli UCAV, named Eitan, sports a wingspan of 26 meters and a takeoff weight of four tons. The state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries developed the Eitan. Eitan would be a multi-purpose UCAV with automatic takeoff and landing able to locate and destroy mobile ballistic missile launchers in reconnaissance and attack missions.