J-UCAS
IOC: 2008
Total Program's Cost: USD$1.8 billion
X-47B
Maiden Flight: November 2009
Also Known As
X-47A Pegasus
X-47BN
Origin
United States of America
Program Status:
Under Development
Contractor/s
Northrop Grumman
Family Members
X-45C
Power plant:
F100-PW-220U
JT15D-5C
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Description:
The J-UCAS (Joint Unmanned Combat Air System), also known as the J-UCAV, evolved from the US Navy and US Air Force requirements for unmanned combat aircraft capable of performing strike missions and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) without risking a pilot. The J-UCAS is the result of the union between the UCAV (USAF) and the UCAV-N (US Navy) programs paving the way for a highly promising joint services program.
The Boeing and Northrop-Grumman corporations are working on the X-45C and the X-47B (X-45CN and X-47BN aircraft carrier enabled Navy designations) prototypes respectively in order to achieve the US Air Force and US Navy objectives and the J-UCAS program goals. The scope of the program is to field a single combat system to meet the requirements of both services, but the possibility to field two systems for each one of the services is still under consideration.
The J-UCAS objectives are airfield/land and aircraft carrier-based UAVs, a combat radius of 1,300-1,500 nm with a full payload of 4,500 pounds inside a large weapons bay, and a loitering capability for 2 hours over a target area 1,000 nm away from the operating base. It will perform missions such as suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), deep strike, electronic attack, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Air refueling capability is also under consideration to conduct extended endurance and/or range missions.
It is expected that a single J-UCAS pilot-operator will be able to operate up to four UAVs flying in closer formations. The collaborative mission execution capability will allow J-UCAS connected each other or with the Global Information Grid to successful operate in high threat environments deep inside enemy battlespace. Therefore, a very stealthy airframe, beyond-line-of-sight communications, and an enhanced electronic warfare capacity will be required to do so.
On August 18, 2004, DARPA signed with Northrop-Grumman a $1.04 billion other transaction for prototypes agreement to continue work on the X-47B J-UCAS demonstrator for a five years duration. Northrop-Grumman will design, develop and demonstrate a minimum of three complete X-47B air vehicles along with three ground control stations. These test vehicles will demonstrate the X-47B suitability for the full-spectrum of military missions from both land and aircraft carrier bases. The flight demonstrations are will begin in 2007 at Patuxent River, Maryland. X-47B evolved from the smaller X-47A UCAV-N optimized for aircraft carrier operations.
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Boeing and Northrop-Grumman established a consortium to develop the J-UCAS Common Operating System (COS) by signing the Articles of Collaboration with DARPA on February 14, 2005. COS' open, non-proprietary architecture operationally flexible and affordable capable of supporting J-UCAS and future programs. This cooperative framework will allow small developers and other defense contractors to contribute COS in the future. Developing the COS independently of the air vehicle and other related items will result in cost and time savings and improved performance.
On March 16, 2005, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) aired a collaborative program which began in December 2004 and is expected to conclude in July 2009. The program aim is to determine the military benefit of Unmanned Combat Air Systems within coalition operations. J-UCAS will be involved in this initiative that will be conducted at both United States of America and United Kingdom locations. The program will culminate with live and virtual flights operating in a coalition networked warfare scenario.
Northrop-Grumman started construction on the first full-scale X-47B J-UCAS unmanned surveillance attack aircraft on 2 June 2005. The aircraft will operate from both land bases and aircraft carriers at sea. GKN Aerospace in Saint Louis, Missouri, is responsible for the forward fuselage and final assembly on the first aircraft was expected to begin summer 2005.
The X-47B is to be powered by a modified Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200E turbofan engine used on the US Air Force F-15E and F-16 fleet. Ground testing of the modified engine began in August 2005. Flight testing of the X-47B powered by the new engine is slated to commence in 2008.
Specifications
Accommodation: Unmanned
Weights: Payload 2,050 kg (4,519 lb)
Engine/s Performance: Thrust 16,000 lb (7,258 kg)
Performance: Endurance 2 hours, Max Range 5,556 km (3,000 nm)
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United States of America /