Die renommierte Fachzeitschrift AviationWeek berichtet
(March 21, 2008), dass der Hersteller von Tarnkappenflugzeugen
Northrop Grumman die nächste Generation von Stealth /
Tarnkappencharakteristik-Kampfflugzeugen und Drohnen mit
Mikrowellen-Waffen und Lasern (Directed Energy Weapons) ausrüsten will:
Northrop Crafts Multimission N-UCAS
David A. Fulghum/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
[www.aviationweek.com]
Auszug/Einzelheiten eher für Fachleute:
Northrop Grumman officials are promoting their unmanned strike
aircraft being designed for the U.S. Navy as a “first-
generation” unmanned combat aerial system (UCAS) with
capabilities that include early missile defense intercepts.
... important new capabilities for the unmanned strike aircraft
including boost-phase intercept (BPI) of enemy ballistic
missiles soon after launch and the carriage of new, compact,
directed-energy weapons. He said options will include both laser
and high-power microwave (HPM) weapons. Lasers are seen as a key
BPI weapon while HPM is critical to electronic attack...
Next-gen stealth
“Broadband, all-aspect stealth is next-generation”... It is also
sensors – signals and electronic intelligence – and directed
energy.” Conformal antenna arrays – eight on the top side of the
aircraft and eight below – will also contribute to low
observability and provide 360-degree coverage.
Advanced air-to-air missiles are being studied as part of the
BPI mission as well as directed energy and rechargeable weapons
that could be carried as palletized units sized for the weapons
bays’ 4,500-pound payload carrying capability. Alternative
weapons bay doors would be fitted with apertures for the
directed energy weapons.
Northrop designers are looking for an aircraft that can fly 50-
100 hour missions and that can go into the toughest, so-called
fourth zone of enemy air defenses. Navy and Marine Corps
electronic warfare requirements officials later described the
mission as “stand-in [jamming, electronic attack or strike]
within a surface-to-air missile's no escape zone.