Airbus unveils new loyal wingman concept

Concept art of the new Wingman introduced by Airbus at International Aerospace Exhibition ILA in Berlin | Image: Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus has introduced its new loyal wingman concept at the International Aerospace Exhibition ILA in Berlin, this week.

The new concept is the latest in a series of programs launched by various defence companies and at various stages of development for an unmanned aircraft controlled by pilots in manned aircraft for various tactical missions.

According to Airbus:

‘In military aviation, a “Wingman” is a pilot in another aircraft that protects and supports the flight lead, delivers more tactical options and thus contributes to mission success. In the Airbus concept, the Wingman is going to operate very much in the same way – only that it is neither a pilot nor a fighter jet flown by one. It is a fighter-type drone that will be commanded by a pilot in a current combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter and can take on high-risk mission tasks that would pose a bigger threat to manned-only aircraft.’

The European defence and aviation giant says:

‘The 1:1 model, which Airbus will be exhibiting from June 5 to 9 on its static display at ILA, is similar to a “show car” used as a design exercise by the automotive industry. The Wingman model showcases all of the foreseen capabilities required, such as low observability, the integration of various armaments, advanced sensors, connectivity and teaming solutions. As with “show cars”, not all of what is on display may find its way into series production. In this aspect, the model on display at ILA Berlin will serve as a foundation and catalyst to drive the design requirements for each generation of the Wingman. Based on the current concept, the Wingman is intended to augment the capabilities of current manned combat aircraft with uncrewed platforms that can carry weapons and other effectors.’

Michael Schoellhorn, CEO at Airbus Defence and Space (on the left), and Gundbert Scherf, Co-CEO at Helsing, in front of the Airbus Wingman model | Photo: Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus quoted Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, as saying, “The German Air Force has expressed a clear need for an unmanned aircraft flying with and supporting missions of its manned fighter jets before the Future Combat Air System will be operational in 2040. Our Wingman concept is the answer. We will further drive and fine-tune this innovation made in Germany so that ultimately we can offer the German Air Force an affordable solution with the performance it needs to maximise the effects and multiply the power of its fighter fleet for the 2030s.”

The company says their ‘Wingman’s tasks can range from reconnaissance to jamming targets and engaging targets on the ground or in the air with precision guided munitions or missiles. Pilots in manned aircraft acting as “command fighters” will always have control of the mission. They are always the final decision-making authority, while benefiting from the protection and smaller risk exposure that the delegation of tactical taskings to unmanned systems offers. An additional focus is on increasing the overall combat mass in an affordable manner so that air forces can match the number of opposing forces in peers or near-peers in conflicts.

Airbus also said it has signed a framework cooperation agreement with AI and software company, Helsing, to ‘work together on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies which will be used in a future Wingman system. This unmanned fighter-type aircraft will operate with current combat jets and receive its tasks from a pilot in a command aircraft such as the Eurofighter.’

Schoellhorn was quoted in an Airbus statement, saying, “The current conflicts on Europe’s borders show how important air superiority is. Manned-Unmanned Teaming will play a central role in achieving air superiority: With an unmanned Wingman at their side, fighter pilots can operate outside the danger zone. They give the orders and always have the decision-making authority. Supported by AI, the wingman then takes over the dangerous tasks, including target reconnaissance and destruction or electronic jamming and deception of enemy air defence systems.”

Gundbert Scherf, Co-CEO at Helsing, said in the statement, “Whilst we will always have a human in the loop, we must realize that the most dangerous parts of an unmanned mission will see a high degree of autonomy and thus require AI.From the processing of data from sensors over the optimization of sub-systems to closing the loop on system-level: software-defined capabilities and AI will be a critical component of the Wingman system for the German Air Force.”

According to the agreement, ‘Airbus will provide its expertise in the interaction of unmanned and manned military aircraft, so-called Manned-Unmanned Teaming, and as prime contractor of major European defence programs such as the Eurofighter or the A400M military transporter. Helsing will contribute its AI stack of relevant software-defined mission capabilities, including the fusion of various sensors and algorithms for electronic warfare.’