ST. LOUIS—Boeing‘s [BA] research and development shop is working on technologies that could allow fighter and helicopter pilots to control unmanned aircraft while in flight, according to the company’s military aviation chief.
The company has already conducted a handful of tests on the concept, based on its ScanEagle unmanned aerial system, Boeing’s President of Military Aircraft Chris Chadwick told reporters during an April 20 briefing at the company’s offices here.
The company has also carried out some “class one control testing” using the Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, company spokesman Damien Mills noted during the same briefing. Other testing has been underway at the company’s Virtual Warfighting Center as well, Chadwick added.
The Boeing executive remained mum on the details of both types of tests, but noted that the work was indicative of the massive research and development investments being made in UAS technologies overall.
“The use of unmanned vehicles is only really limited by the imagination,” Chadwick said. “So I think you will see them controlled from the ground. I think you will see them controlled from the air, whether it is from a fighter or a larger [aircraft]…or from space. I think all those are doable in time.”
Due to the realative newness of unmanned technologies, those heavily invested in that field find themselves “doing a lot of experimentation, to see what makes sense in a warfighting environment,” Chadwick added.
One area in particlar where that air-to-air command technology could play a role is in the Navy’s UCLASS program. However, Chadwick pointed out that before Boeing or anyone else could begin to implement any next-generartion technologies–such as the air-to-air control of UAS–onto UCLASS, the Navy needs to issue its requirements for the program.
Until then, the company remains still focused on proving the concept that an unmanned aircraft can be flown off of an aircraft carrier.
But Chadwick predicted that the Navy is “in the throes of getting down to what, I think, will be their final requirements” for the UCLASS program, he said. “I would not be surprised if later this summer we get our first understanding of what exactly the Navy is looking for.”
Those requirements, he noted, could include making the program a joint effort, he added. “I think there is always that potential,” Chadwick said, noting that DoD has regularly pushed for joint programs, to reduce duplicity and as a way to reduce costs.
“But if you think about it, if it is going to land on a boat, then it would probably best be a Navy-Marine Corps discussion,” Chadwick said, noting he was unaware if the Navy was already having such discussions.