The F-16's Replacement Won’t Have a Pilot at All
Somehow, Skyborg will be an operational weapon system in just three years.
By Kyle Mizokami
Jul 9, 2020
Air Force Research Lab
The U.S. Air Force is planning to field an operational combat drone by 2023.
The service says Skyborg will replace older weapon-slinging drones and even early models of the F-16.
Skyborg will be reusable but could be sacrificed in combat if necessary.
The U.S. Air Force plans to have an operational combat drone by 2023. The service plans to build out a family of unmanned aircraft, known as Skyborg, capable of carrying weapons and actively participating in combat. The Air Force’s goal is to build up a large fleet of armed, sort-of disposable jets that don’t need conventional runways to take off and land.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a33264422/us-combat-jet-drone/
