The European giant MBDA decided to create an interesting device that will work in tandem with a fighter
What is known
The ERC will work alongside a fighter thatis being developed as part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. The flying decoy will be used to confuse the enemy and detect air defense systems.
The ERC will study the situation on the battlefield andtransmit 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.
At the same time, the bait will turn out to be cheaper than an anti-aircraft baitthe missile that will be used to kill. MBDA also promises that ERC will be able to be launched 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 is delayed and,likely to appear in 2040, not 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.