#Pods vs packrat plus

He holds a master's in political science. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy Magazine and other publications. A weapon is only as good as the testing it goes through. The RFI asks interested contractors to estimate the cost for full-rate production 'at a maximum of 12 units per year on an annual procurement basis for 5, 10, and 15 years.'Īs new technologies are developed to stop advanced weapons, such as hypersonic missiles, there will be a need for a new generation of test vehicles that can sufficiently replicate the characteristics of enemy equipment. Reusability may also be important, given that the Air Force doesn't appear to be ordering mass quantities. Significantly, the RFI stresses in bold print that the target drone should be 'highly affordable,' suggesting that cost is a major consideration. The Air Force wants prototypes developed within five years after the contract has been awarded, which probably means the first models won't be operational until around 2030.Ī QF-4 at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico on December 21, 2016.

If the drone isn't destroyed in mock combat, it can land on a runway or by parachute. The Air Force describes a typical two-hour test mission in which the target drone flies autonomously for 250 miles to a designated point where it holds position for 10 minutes before doing a supersonic dash for two minutes and then repeating the cycle.

#Pods vs packrat plus

The target drone should also be able to carry jamming pods and other equipment: The Air Force wants a craft that can carry 500 pounds of payload internally, plus more slung under the wings. The Air Force wants a drone that can carry the ALE-47 - the US military's main airborne countermeasures system - which detects enemy radar and missiles targeting an aircraft and responds by launching chaff and infrared decoys. Jamming and decoys will be a key part of the design. Its operating altitude should be from 100 feet up to 50,000 feet, and it must also perform high-G maneuvers, including a 3G-a-second turn for three seconds at 0.85 Mach. The new vehicle should be able to perform bursts of supersonic speed, with a minimum of two supersonic dashes at Mach 1.2 for two to four minutes each. The RFI describes a 'fifth generation representative target suite' that 'should be able to provide a remotely-controlled, destructible asset' with radio-frequency and electronic-attack emissions and a radar cross section and infrared signature that are 'threat representative,' in addition to having 'internally carried expendables,' according to the RFI.Ī BQM-167 is launched at Tyndall Air Force Base on May 12, 2015. The target drone should be 'designed to replicate threat aircraft systems that emulate performance, signatures, and countermeasures of enemy aircraft,' according to a Request for Information issued by the Air Force in July, which seeks feedback from potential manufacturers.

It should also be 'destructible,' which means that it is inexpensive enough to be blown up during target practice. Hence, the Air Force is looking for a next-generation target drone that not only resembles a fifth-generation fighter - at least on a radar screen or an infrared sensor - but also emits radar and jamming signals that US pilots would encounter in real combat. A QF-16 at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida on May 12, 2015.