Overview
- The Air Force published a Request for Information that asks industry to propose a family of target drones able to represent threats from hobby quadcopters to advanced stealth fighters and large bombers, with responses due Sept. 28.
- For fighter-class targets the RFI lists demanding technical requirements including supersonic performance at or above Mach 1.6 at 40,000 feet, high‑G maneuvering, precise low‑observable radar cross sections, multi‑spectral infrared signatures, active radio emissions and integrated electronic attack features.
- The solicitation defines separate target envelopes so size, flight behavior and signatures match missions: C-130‑sized and bomber/AWACS representations, Group 5 UAVs at about 50,000 feet, Group 3/4 UAVs at Mach 0.5–0.8 with 3–6 Gs, and Group 1/2 small drones under 150 knots capable of swarming.
- The Air Force emphasizes attritability and commercial or dual‑use sourcing, inviting non‑traditional vendors and modified commercial designs to lower cost and scale production because legacy targets like the subscale BQM‑167A and converted QF‑16s cannot mimic modern stealth or be expended in quantity.
- If adopted, the program could change testing and training by enabling more realistic sensor and weapons trials, increasing acceptable target loss during live fire, and creating new opportunities and production demands for commercial aerospace firms.