Boeing tests surrogate jets in Australia
Technology and capabilities demonstrated in flight tests will feed into Boeing autonomous platforms
Boeing has completed ten days of flight tests with five high-performance surrogate jets operating autonomously in a team at the new Queensland Flight Test Range in Cloncurry, Australia.
Technology and capabilities proven under this programme will form part of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System and future Boeing autonomous platforms.
In the latest tests, advanced autonomy technology, including on-board C2 and data sharing capabilities, was used with the 3.4m-long aircraft.
‘With the size, number and speed of aircraft used in the test, this is a very significant step for Boeing and industry in the progress of autonomous mission systems technology,’ said Emily Hughes, director of Phantom Works International.
During testing, the aircraft reached speeds of up to 270km/h.
‘The tests demonstrated our success in applying artificial intelligence algorithms to ‘teach’ the aircraft’s brain to understand what is required of it,’ said Hughes.
She added: ‘The data link capabilities enabled the aircraft to communicate with the other platforms so that they could collaborate to achieve a mission.’
The activity was the final milestone delivered in partnership with the Queensland government as part of the Advanced Queensland Autonomous Systems Platform Technology Project.
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