A model of the General Atomics Gambit ‘loyal wingman' (CCA) displayed at the IQPC International Fighter Conference 2024 in Berlin. Poland is seeking a similar capability under its Harpy's Talon requirement. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The Polish Air Force is pressing its government to provide funding for its plans to field an unmanned ‘loyal wingman' for its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II combat aircraft, the Deputy General Commander of the Polish Armed Forces said on 6 November.
Speaking a year to the day since he first disclosed at the same IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) in 2023 that Poland was conducting a market evaluation of potential collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) types for its Harpii Szpon (Harpy‘s Talon) requirement, Major General Cezary Wiśniewski said at the IFC 2024 in Berlin that the air force “is pushing very hard to find the money to bring this capability forward”.
With the Polish Air Force contracted to buy 32 F-35As under the Harpy programme, Harpy‘s Talon is designed to add affordable mass. International development efforts currently under way that Maj Gen Wiśniewski previously cited as being of interest to Poland included the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat that is being led by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft project of the US Air Force (USAF).
On the subject of the USAF's CCA project, Maj Gen Wiśniewski said that the Polish Air Force is looking to see if it will be orientated towards operations in the Indo-Pacific region, or if it will be optimised for use in Europe.
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