Boeing Australia powered up the commercial turbofan engine on the first Loyal Wingman aircraft this month, as part of ground testing and preparations for first flight.
This milestone comes on the heels of Boeing completing the first unmanned Loyal Wingman aircraft for the RAAF earlier this year, a major step forward for the unmanned vehicle serving as the foundation for the global Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS), an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered teaming aircraft developed for the global defense market.
“This engine run gets us closer toward flying the first aircraft later this year and was successful thanks to the collaboration and dedication of our team,” Dr. Shane Arnott, program director of the Boeing ATS said.
“We’ve been able to select a very light, off-the-shelf jet engine for the unmanned system as a result of the advanced manufacturing technologies applied to the aircraft.”
Keep your eye out for the October edition of ADM where Boeing Defence Australia Vice President & Managing Director Scott Carpendale speaks to us in our From the Source interview.