DUGWAY, Utah - The Fifth Generation Aerial Target or 5GAT drone will take off for the first time later this month during a test flight at the Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The drone will take to the sky after it completed ground-based tests back in September, Josh Spires reports for DroneDJ.com. Continue reading original article.
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
October 22, 2020 -"With 5GAT, we've reinvented the typical acquisition process, and have aggressively used innovative program management and contracting processes to accelerate new capability development and ensure cost savings," Michael Crisp, a retired naval aviator and DOT&E's deputy director for air warfare said. "We pulled in expertise from ‘greybeards,' both industry and military, and the vision of our next generation of pilots, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets. We gave STS the freedom to explore cutting-edge design and manufacturing techniques, and got an even bigger bang for the taxpayer buck by recycling government-owned assets."
"When this unique prototype takes to the air in a few days, we will have gone from a basic concept to first flight in less than three-and-a-half years. That includes periods when the program slowed dramatically due to funding issues and the recent COVID-related delays," Crisp said. "I think 5GAT shows the power, creativity and flexibility that a small but diverse team with few constraints can produce — all to the benefit of the warfighter."
Related: Leonardo launches medium-to-high-performance M-40 target drone at Paris Air Show
Related: Boeing to convert 18 retired F-16s into unmanned target drones for pilot training
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
