Page 39 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 21

FEBRUARY – MARCH 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIR POWER OVERVIEW 39
Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned surveil- lance platforms currently being acquired under Air 7000 Phase 1B.
LOYAL WINGMAN ACHIEVES HIGH
SPEED TAXI MILESTONE
Although Boeing said it would fly its Airpower Teaming System (a.k.a Loyal Wingman) remotely-piloted, semi-au- tonomous system before the end of 2020, the company now says flight testing will commence in early 2021.
Boing announced that the prototype ATS had completed high-speed taxi trials in preparation for the first flight on December 21.
“Our test program is progressing well and we’re happy with the ground test data we have collected to date,” said Boeing flight test manager Paul Ryder. “We are
working with the (RAAF) Air Warfare Centre to com- plete final test verifications to prepare for flight testing in the new year.”
Although the location of these recent trials – and the impending first flight – is described only as a ‘remote lo- cation’, ADM understands that this is the Woomera Test Range (WTR).
“Boeing and the RAAF will resume final taxi tests and preparations for flight in early 2021 when the range re- opens,” the Boeing press release stated.
Boeing’s ATS program director Shane Arnott said the company had made “amazing strides” in taking the proto- type (the first of three) from a fuselage structure to a fin- ished aircraft over the past year.
“Our focus now is on conducting a safe and secure flight- test regimen for the Loyal Wingman program,” he said. ■
LEFT: The JSF hit IOC at the end of last year with almost half the fleet now in country.
ABOVE: Caption Um rem laut militat est, velenditat fuga. Ant fugitature ma nit pro te nonsequibus,
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