CUTTING EDGE

DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINE OF AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY BATTLE OF THE ’BORGS’ THE US AIR Force is working on new, low-observable ‘wingman’ drones that could accompany manned aircraft into battle. The effort involves three related programs that are separately developing the control systems, airframes and manufacturing techniques for deploying large numbers of small, inexpensive and stealthy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could fight in mixed formations with manned aircraft. The unmanned systems ‘have the potential for dramatically changing the game