
美國空軍在內華達州克里奇空軍基地測試FQ-44「狂怒」無人戰機,該機已由單一操作員數小時訓練後完成起飛與回收,並與F-35編隊飛行驗證有人無人協同作戰,同時進行空對空武器測試,目前處於測試驗證與生產導入階段。
AI-generated summary
美國空軍正推進協同作戰飛行器(CCA)計畫,開發無人戰機以支援有人戰機執行任務,降低飛行員風險並提升作戰彈性。
美軍F-35匿蹤戰機(左)與FQ-44A「狂怒」(FQ-44A Fury)無人戰機在空中編隊飛行,顯示有人與無人戰機協同作戰測試已進入實際飛行階段。(圖:自Anduril Industries)
〔編譯陳成良/綜合報導〕F-35匿蹤戰機身旁如今可出現一架不需飛行員直接遙控的無人戰機。美國新創國防大廠安杜里爾工業(Anduril Industries)的FQ-44「狂怒」(FQ-44 Fury)已交由美國空軍實驗作戰單位操作,並在測試中與F-35編隊飛行,單一操作員接受數小時訓練後即可完成起飛與回收。
美國空軍YFQ-44A「狂怒」無人戰機在克里奇空軍基地進行武器掛載訓練,當時機體仍使用YFQ-44A名稱;這項演練用於建立協同作戰飛行器飛機(CCA)的戰術與操作程序。(圖:美國空軍)
安杜里爾官方資料顯示,FQ-44是以自主任務能力為核心設計的無人空中載具,搭配該公司的Lattice軟體系統執行任務。美國空軍則已在內華達州克里奇空軍基地(Creech Air Force Base)進行「協同作戰飛行器」(Collaborative Combat Aircraft, CCA),測試,讓FQ-44逐步脫離單純的飛行測試環境,進入由空軍人員操作與驗證的階段。
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安杜里爾近期公布的測試資訊指出,FQ-44已於8月交由克里奇的實驗作戰單位操作。測試期間,單一空軍操作員接受數小時基本訓練後,即可完成Fury的起飛與回收,顯示這款無人戰機的操作流程正朝降低人力與設備需求的方向發展。
F-35飛行員不用直接遙控
更具畫面的是,FQ-44已在測試中與F-35編隊飛行。這代表有人戰機與無人戰機可以在同一飛行任務中協同運作,而F-35飛行員不必一路以遙控方式操縱Fury;無人機則依靠自身的任務自主系統執行既定任務。
FQ-44也已進行空對空武器測試。美國空軍公開資料顯示,該型機曾發射1枚AIM-120先進中程空對空飛彈,完成空對空交戰流程測試。測試仍有人員參與任務與武器釋放監督,因此目前不宜解讀為完全由AI自行決定開火。
美國空軍9月正式將這款協同作戰飛機命名為FQ-44「狂怒」,並規劃擴大CCA機隊規模。FQ-44目前仍處於測試、驗證與生產導入階段,後續也將持續進行武器整合與有人、無人戰機協同作戰測試。
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
FQ-44將在未來12個月內完成初步作戰評估並進入低率生產
Likely · Within months

The U.S. military's AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missile operational availability rate is not up to standard, with only 58% for the Air Force and 78% for the Navy, affecting pilot training. At the same time, the U.S. military is accelerating the expansion of AGM-158 JASSM and LRASM production capacity, with an annual production target of 1,880 pieces in 2032. However, the JASSM maintenance problem is not expected to be resolved until 2029. Lockheed Martin is expanding more than 20 production facilities in five states and launching a modular FLEX version.

Italian Fincantieri and Leonardo Group announced on the 24th that they signed a shipbuilding contract worth 3.7 billion euros with European OCCAR to develop and build two DDX 10,000-ton destroyers with a displacement of 13,500 tons to replace the Durande de la Pene-class ships that have been in service for more than 31 years. The new ship will be equipped with 4 S-band AESA radars, SADOC 5 combat management system, 80 vertical launch units and Aster 30 B1NT air defense missiles and naval cruise missiles, with multi-target tracking, anti-trajectory and anti-polar sonic capabilities. The first ship is expected to be delivered in 2033, and the second ship will join the series in 2035. This plan will give the Italian Navy a dual-carrier class equipped with F-35B fighters, improving its power projection capabilities in the Mediterranean and oceans.

The U.S. Air Force invested US$87.4 million (approximately NT$2.77 billion) to accelerate the replacement of F-16 Fighting Falcons with the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS), increasing the overall program value to US$1.92 billion. The new system has independent geo-positioning and active interference capabilities for a single aircraft. The first batch of low-rate initial production is expected to be completed before the end of 2029. The first batch is planned to be 72 Block 50 F-16s, with the ultimate goal of covering 450 F-16s.

The "Barracuda" cruise missile developed by Anduril in the United States recently passed the Weapons Open System Architecture (WOSA) certification of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, becoming the U.S. Air Force's first munition that complies with the open architecture and can be mass-produced. The missile adopts a modular design and can replace the payload, data link and communication functions according to mission requirements. The first batch will be delivered in early 2027. Anduril has launched three basic models with ranges ranging from 222 kilometers to 926 kilometers, and has successfully integrated multiple turbojet engines to reduce supply chain dependence. The U.S. Department of Defense plans to achieve the annual production target of 5,300 missiles by 2028 and increase to 8,000 missiles in 2031 through a multi-year framework agreement. Other U.S. missile manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin are also turning to modular design to achieve high-volume, low-cost and rapid upgrade of missiles.

The Haigong III type ship-borne anti-aircraft missile independently developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has a range of 200 kilometers and a speed of over Mach 4. Its performance overwhelms the current standard Type II missile. However, due to changes in the Navy's shipbuilding policy, the original 4,500-ton new-generation missile frigate was converted into a 250-ton missile frigate. As a 0-ton light frigate, the Hai Gong San is too large to be installed on small ships currently in service or under construction. Currently, it can only wait for the completion of the future 7,000-ton "Ji Hai Project" main warship before it can be equipped. The Navy temporarily maintains the standard Type II missile to extend its life.

The Taiwan Navy has purchased 292 US-made Standard Type II missiles since 2004, but has only fired live ammunition 6 times in 22 years, 4 of which were conducted in the United States. The main reasons for the low number of actual firings are the high cost (a single missile costs about NT$28 million to over NT$100 million), the electronic parameters of the missiles are easily detected by the People's Liberation Army, and computer simulation training can replace actual firings. The Navy has allocated 3.278 billion yuan to purchase backup components to extend the life of missiles and develop domestically produced Haigong III missiles, but this is limited by the lack of tonnage of new ships. The B-2 missile will continue to serve as medium-range air defense until the "Taiwan Mini Aegis" is formed into the army in the future.