Airbus Wingman
The Airbus Wingman is a loyal wingman aircraft in development by European aerospace manufacturer Airbus. The aircraft would be an unmanned fighter aircraft which would accompany a Eurofighter Typhoon or other combat aircraft as a force multiplier.
Development
A 1 to 1 scale "show car" version of the Wingman was unveiled on at the 2024 ILA Berlin Air Show. The Wingman is said to feature capabilities including stealth and modern sensors, and is designed to fulfill roles including aerial reconnaissance, radar jamming, air-to-air combat and air-to-surface combat. It will be piloted by artificial intelligence. On, Airbus announced a partnership with European AI defense company Helsing to develop the Wingman's AI system.The Wingman would be controlled by a commanding crewed fighter, the initial aircraft proposed for this role is the Eurofighter Typhoon, though Airbus has left open the possibility that other fighters or aircraft could be adapted to fit the role. According to Airbus, the F-35 Lightning, Dassault Rafale and Saab Gripen fighters as well as the A400M Atlas transport and A330 MRTT tanker could be adapted to command Wingman aircraft. Airbus has stated that human pilots in the command aircraft would always be the "final decision making authority" in combat and would "always have control of the mission".