US Air Force KC-135 We have developed a method of firing a small drone from a public tanker, and we are considering how to implement gas renovation.
According to them, air tankers can fire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to help defend the future threats.
In addition to direct defense support, drones can provide additional situation awareness and potentially perform other missions in the future.
The drone transfer mechanism (DDM) prototype for the KC-135 began in 2023 and was completed in the 2024 fiscal year, that is, on September 30.
however TwzAccording to it, the milestone seems to have been first released in the US Air Force Budget, which was released last week. To complete the project, the US Air Force is asking for $ 12.9 million.
The DDM budget request aims to “provide in -flight defense/ISR (information, surveillance and reconnaissance) ability for operations in a dispute environment.”
“The drone launch mechanism, which can launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the KC-135, aims to provide in-flight defense ability,” the US Air Force added to the request.
“Common Launch Tube (CLT) and the remodeled KC-135 prototypes were used to evaluate and prove the feasibility of this concept.”
CLT is a standardized air launch system that the US military uses to launch precise -induced ammunition and small -sized unmanned airline systems in various platforms, especially in fixed -wing special works and drones.
In general, the CLT launch pad can reload inside the mounted aircraft, allowing the KC-135 to fire multiple payloads through DDM.
Currently, “Air Mobility Command and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to convert KC-135 drone transfer mechanisms to appropriate recording programs (POR) and implement abilities in KC-135 fleets. We are discussing the best way. ”
Photo and video: USAF. This content was produced with the help of AI and was reviewed by the editorial team.
