The European giant MBDA decided to create an interesting device that will work in tandem with the sixth generation fighter and not only. This is not a rocket, not a plane or a drone. The development is an expendable remote carrier (ERC).

What is known

The ERC will work alongside the fighter, which is being developed under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. The flying decoy will be used to confuse the enemy and detect air defense systems.

ERC will study the situation on the battlefield and transmit information to the pilot in real time. MBDA states that enemy air defense systems will not be able to distinguish an ERC from a real aircraft.

In this case, the bait will be cheaper than the anti-aircraft missile, which will be used to defeat. MBDA also promises that it will be possible to launch ERC from submarines, land vehicles and ships.

The development of ERC is proceeding with some difficulties. In particular, one of the problems is the need to fit all the sensors into a limited space. The ERC will have a size of 4 meters. The mass of the aircraft will be 400 kg.

Another issue is autonomy. Developers must make sure that ERC can work on its own. This is necessary in order not to create an additional burden for the pilot.

The sixth generation fighter has been delayed and will likely arrive in 2040 rather than 2035. The ERC demonstrator will be ready for first flight in 2029. This was stated by Jean Judde de Larivière and Grégoire Faron, who work in the FCAS program.

Source: Breaking Defense