The US will build a 5GAT drone that will mimic Russia's fifth-generation Su-57 fighter and China's J-20

The US Department of Defence has decided to resume a project to acquire a new drone that will simulate enemy combat aircraft. In particular, the Russian Su-57 and the Chinese J-20.

Here's What We Know

Advanced Technology International has been awarded a contract to develop a prototype 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) unmanned target. The U.S. Army Contracting Command office (U.S. Army Contracting Command) signed the agreement, the value of which, if all options are exercised, will reach $77.2 million.

The main contractor is Sierra Technical Services. The company developed the previous target drone as part of the 5GAT programme. It is this drone that will form the basis of the new project.

The development of the previous version of the UAV began more than 15 years ago. About three years ago, the first sample of the drone crashed during the first test flight due to software problems. This led to a programme freeze.

The first prototype of the 5GAT had a long nose section. The rhomboidal wings and air intakes were shifted to the rear of the drone. The drone could take off and land like a normal aircraft.

As we wrote above, the new 5GAT will mimic the Russian Su-57 fighter and the Chinese J-20. The focus will be primarily on electronic warfare capabilities. The cost of the UAV is not specified, but Sierra Technical Services previously estimated that it would cost less than $10 million to produce one drone.

Source: The War Zone