Japan Unveils Plan for Pilotless Combat Aircraft to Support Fighters

The BMD aircraft is slated to enter service around 2030, while the the first iteration of the unmanned wingman—which will fly ahead of fighters as a sensor carrier—is to be developed in the next 15 to 20 years. A second version of the unmanned wingman that will fire munitions and act as a missile sponge, directing incoming threats toward itself and away from the manned fighter, will be developed with the same airframe and engine as the sensor carrier if all goes according to plan. The development of these Combat Support Unmanned Aircraft is outlined in a report from the Japanese Defense Ministry's purchasing office, the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), which was provided to Aviation Week.