The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 and F-35 fighter jets flew alongside the XQ-58a Valkyrie Low-cost drone over the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground during a series of tests on Dec. 9. (U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. Air Force recently announced a new test. On December 9, the U.S. Military’s F-22 Raptor, F-35A Lightning II and F-35B took part in a joint test of integrated communications to build information communication, sharing platforms and, most notably, a new DRONE, the XQ-58a Valkyrie, flying alongside The F-22 and F-35, making it possible for drones to act as wingmen for manned fighter jets.
The cost of an F-22 fighter jet, based on 2009 prices, is about $150 million. The actual total program cost of developing and manufacturing 195 F-22s totalled $77.39 billion, or $412 million per aircraft in 2011 if spread evenly. Such an expensive aircraft cannot be lost easily, so the idea of low-cost unmanned wingmen has been taken seriously.
Although the F-22 is the most advanced stealth fighter, if a missile is to be fired in combat, it must be fired from a stealth capsule below the boot. No matter the missile is opened or launched, the surface stealth structure of the aircraft will be destroyed, which may be caught by enemy radar in a short time and locked by enemy missiles.
Even if the F-22 closes its shell quickly, it may have exposed its area and still be at risk of being hit by an enemy missile. If there are low-cost uAVs accompanying the f-22, in theory it should be able to actively accept the attack of enemy missiles for the F-22. Using low-cost UAVs to cover the high-cost F-22 is undoubtedly a reasonable loss. American pilots also reduce the risk of death or injury.
In addition, the presence of unmanned aircraft can confuse enemy radar in the first place, making it difficult for enemy missiles to identify the real target. However, the F-22 can complete its mission in time and quickly withdraw from the risk area.
Not only can the XQ-58a Valkyrie drone act as a false target, it can also carry four precise-guided munitions of its own to directly attack high-value targets. This frees the F-22 from ground-attack missions, prevents it from easily opening the stealth capsule and keeps it invisible at all times.
If you have multiple low-cost uAVs flying with you, the F-22 becomes a true commander, dedicated to reconnaissance and command, and you can leave all ground and sea attacks to uAVs. The F-22 only has to deal with air threats. The concept is now in substantive testing.
The test, conducted by the US Department of Defense in coordination with various DEPARTMENTS of the US military, is a comprehensive test of information connection across the land, air, sea, space and network. Although there is an unexpected loss of link in the middle, but the participation of uav in this comprehensive test is more interesting. Ensuring that information is communicated between aircraft and the base without being detected or intercepted should be a key part of the test.
The F-35 is a low-cost replacement for the F-22, but the U.S. military still buys it for about $100 million, and the export price for 2018 starts at $133 million per f-35A. The COST of the XQ-58a Valkyrie drone has not been disclosed, but it is called a low-cost drone and is estimated to be in the low millions of dollars.
The price of an extended range LONG-RANGE air-to-surface missile (JASSM-ER) was $1.359 million in 2015. A multimillion-dollar drone, of course, is something the U.S. military would love to have. Dozens of them cost as much as an F-22 or F-35, and would be a perfect wingman.
Now that the F-22 and F-35 are gaining ground, the U.S. air power is about to be outmatched, and the Chinese communist Party wants to continue the arms race, but it’s being left behind.
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