Northrop Grumman has shown off to the Air Force its new KillerBee low-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, which the company says will provide surveillance and force protection for military bases, shipping lanes, borders, or convoys. The demonstration took place at the Air Force’s UAV battlelab at Creech AFB, Nev., where lab official Lt. Col. Douglas Larson expressed amazement at “how quickly it climbed to altitude.” Larson believes the low-observable UAV could “carry a lot more payload” and “could be used for several Air Force missions.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.