A400M 'mothership' launches 'loyal wingman'

摘要

On February 21, Airbus announced it had launched a conceptual Remote Carrier (RC) 'loyal wingman' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from an A400M 'mothership' over a test range in Germany for the first time. The aircraft was flown by a joint flight test crew from the Luftwaffe and Airbus.In a statement, Airbus - which is heading the RC development aspect of the next-generation weapon system component of the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System programme - said: "During a recent test, an A400M deployed a drone from its opened rear cargo ramp door whilst airborne - validating its ability to air-launch drones."