Lockheed-Martin project Falcon
Project Falcon was the testbed for creating ultra-fast and ultra-capable unmanned aircraft for the reconnaissance missions and probably for the attacking purposes. The reason for launching that project was to create technology what allowed to create drone for the missions, what was dangerous and top secret. The system used staged scramjet technology, where lifting off happened by using standard jet engines when the speed was about Mach 1 the ramjet engines started to operate, and when the speed was about Mach 6 to 7 the scramjets or the hypersonic ramjets were started to operate.
The maximum speed of that platform was about Mach 9-12. That kind of recon plane could be safe for the user, and if the missile hits it, it can be destroyed by using explosives. Otherwise, that kind of system can be used to carry small-size smart weapons to the other side of Earth very fast. That thing would give the operator the pin-point accuracy also in the intercontinental operations.
And this kind of hypersonic drone can also be used as the hypersonic cruise missile. If the hypersonic drone is equipped with nuclear weapons, it can rise to airborne, and use in the same missions, with the strategic bomber, it can cruise airborne, and when the alarm comes, that kind of drone can attack against enemy targets same way with normal bombers, but those systems can explode internally installed nuclear detonators.
But if the mission is delayed that kind of drone can return to base. So they have the combined role with cruise missile and strategic bomber. This can be the answer to the challenges of the new era's strategic strike capacity and the threats that missiles like S-300 are given to the new era attack planes. In some scenarios, the attack planes, which operate in the enemy territory would be replaced by robots.
The defensive fighters are operating in own airspace would be manned, which gives them the surprise effect. The artificial intelligence would learn from the actions, what real pilots are doing. The thing is that attack drones that are operated by artificial intelligence can also be used in kamikaze missions. If the bombardment is not effective the drone can just dive and impact to target. Those drones can shot down and that doesn't cause any losses for crews. So that kind of mission can be hidden from the public eye even they are failing.
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