Known as the Airpower Teaming System (ATS), Boeing Australia's new loyal wingman drone for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has taken to the sky for the first time. It's not clear exactly when the flight took place, but it occurred at the high-security RAAF Base Woomera and its surrounding range complex. The flight was originally supposed to occur around the end of 2020, but it was pushed back due to a number of factors.
The ATS, which is a modular design capable of having its entire nose section swapped out quickly, is seen as a landmark program for Australia and the RAAF. It is the first clean-sheet aircraft Boeing has brought to fruition outside the U.S. and the first military aircraft Australia has independently produced in over half a century. ATS is meant to work in combination with the RAAF's fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and E-7 Wedgetails, as well as F-35s, acting as loyal wingmen by providing additional offensive and defensive capabilities to these existing combat aircraft. Really, that's an understatement. ATS has the potential to totally revolutionize the RAAF's air combat tactics playbook. You can read all about this promising program and the ATS's stated capabilities in this in-depth War Zone feature. READ MORE
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