USAF Hunter-Killer

Hunter-Killer is an unofficial project name based upon an Aviation Week & Space Technology article. When USAF releases an official name, this article will be renamed to suit.

The U.S. Air Force's Hunter-Killer program was a tactical unmanned combat air vehicles procurement program.

The MQ-9 Reaper won the project and is now being deployed in Afghanistan.

The five candidates that were proposed were:

• Scaled Composites Model 395
• Scaled Composites Model 396
• General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (a variant of the MQ-1 Predator)
• Aurora Flight Sciences/Israel Aircraft Industries Eagle/Heron 2
• Unnamed Lockheed Martin Skunk Works entry

Raytheon proposed a sixth option, whereby they would offer a combination of sensors, communications systems, and other mission-related systems as a package, and then choose an airframe at a later date. Raytheon's perspective was that, as long as it performs to a minimum set of specifications, the individual airframe is less important than the systems it will carry.

History

This is the U.S. Air Force program for which several companies have developed vehicles.

Although the J-UCAS concept is a long way from the early idea of a "reusable cruise missile", that notion is apparently alive and well. In September 2003, an announcement was made that Lockheed Martin's famous "Skunk Works" was developing an air-launched UCAV named "the Minion". Details released describe it as having a launch weight of 3,400 kilograms (7,500 pounds)...
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