Has anybody heard of the Sabre Warrior UCAV?
This video has been on YouTube since May 2008, but hasn't received nearly the attention it deserves.
Only one reference to the Sabre Warrior has appeared in print, and that was about a decade ago. An Associated Press story on April 17, 1999, quotes Armand Chaput, then-Lockheed Martin's director for unmanned combat air vehicles, who gave a lecture at the University of Toledo.
This video has been on YouTube since May 2008, but hasn't received nearly the attention it deserves.
Only one reference to the Sabre Warrior has appeared in print, and that was about a decade ago. An Associated Press story on April 17, 1999, quotes Armand Chaput, then-Lockheed Martin's director for unmanned combat air vehicles, who gave a lecture at the University of Toledo.
"Chaput showed Toledo engineering students video animations of several Lockheed-Martin projects, complete with video game-style fires and explosions.
One, the Sabre Warrior, was portrayed taking off from an airfield at night, receiving computerized target instructions from soldiers hidden inside enemy lines, and dropping bombs that destroy a convoy of tanks and other armored equipment.
Chaput also showed a video animation of a proposed unmanned plane that would take off from a submarine, unfold its wings while floating to the surface, fly to a target, drop bombs and return to the submarine, where it would be serviced by robots."
on October 26, 2009 2:16 PM | Reply
I've seen the design in David Oliver and Mike Ryan's "Warplanes of the Future". I can't recall the text, but it mentioned the possibility of tailoring squadrons of unmanned and manned aircraft working in tandem, 2 UCAVs associated with each manned version as well as the UCAVs working solo.
The book is mostly all just concept artwork from a British company.
on October 26, 2009 6:13 PM | Reply
So Lockheed nicked the idea off the Brits? ;-)
on October 26, 2009 6:20 PM | Reply
Never heard of this aircraft, but parts of this rendering have been reused during X-35/F-35 renderings in the late 90s and early 2000s. Leading me to believe that this is a pretty old video...
You'll note that the planform, particularly the wings, resemble the F-35 more than the Raptor... (as it's mentioned in the video) Additionally, we know the video predates the Small Diameter Bomb- you'll note the video refers to the weapons as 250lbs 'small smart bombs', which indicates that the weapon was still in the concept phases.
Still, cool looking aircraft, hopefully they're still cracking away at it. I do suspect, however, that this concept predates the F-35 downselect... so I would imagine its a defunct project.
on October 26, 2009 8:04 PM | Reply
There are two illustrations in the aforementioned book. One has a mixed formation of manned/unmanned Sabre warriors refueling from a KC-10, and the other one shows two unmanned ones attacking an airfield (I guess to emphasize the advantages of using UCAVs in dangerous missions)
on October 27, 2009 1:34 AM | Reply
I think whoever designed this was watching too much starwars pod-racing.
on October 27, 2009 10:29 AM | Reply
Thanks, great blog. i have free simulator software where you can fly this and other concept aircraft. and loads of tips at my site for budding and working pilots http://aviationpilottraining.blogspot.com/ check it out!! Cheers :)
on October 27, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply
Thanks, great blog. i have free simulator software where you can fly this and other concept aircraft. and loads of tips at my site for budding and working pilots http://aviationpilottraining.blogspot.com/ check it out!! Cheers :)
on October 30, 2009 3:53 AM | Reply
This is about 6 years old .... how did this get to be news ???
on November 3, 2009 4:21 AM | Reply
This is ancient.
The specs and weapons cited do match the X-45A and X-47A.
Was this LM's failed entry into the USAF UCAV Program?