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The secretive FalconWorks and Skunk Works are working together to develop the new Blizzard modular, multi-mission uncrewed air system, offering multiple launch options and payloads.
BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin announced that their secretive FalconWorks and Skunk Works divisions are working together to develop Blizzard, a new modular, multi-mission uncrewed air system (UAS). Designed as a rapidly deployable and cost-effective platform, Blizzard is intended to provide a range of operational effects, including electronic warfare, attack missions and collaborative battlefield capabilities.
The system represents the latest development from both companies to create a new generation of affordable, adaptable and autonomous platforms capable of operating alongside traditional crewed aircraft and providing additional combat mass. BAE and Lockheed announced last year a strategic partnership to collaborate on a range of uncrewed autonomous air systems and capitalize on the experience that each accumulated.
"Through our collaboration with Lockheed Martin, we're delivering disruptive capabilities that can make a real difference to our military customers at pace, enabling them to confront the operational requirements of today's battlefield," said David Holmes, Managing Director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks.
Blizzard UAS
The initial variant of Blizzard will be designed with modularity and adaptability for different missions, says BAE Systems. Additionally, it will offer multiple launch options such as air drop, ground launch, maritime launch and launch from a wide-body logistic aircraft.
The ability to deploy the system from multiple platforms could provide significant operational flexibility, adapting to mission requirements. For instance, an air-launched configuration could enable rapid deployment alongside combat aircraft, while ground or maritime launch options could provide additional options for ground troops or naval vessels.
The mention of launch from wide-body logistic aircraft is particularly notable, as it would allow large-scale deployment of autonomous systems from transport aircraft. In a short video released on social media, the company showed a system similar to the U.S. Air Force's Rapid Dragon, now Dragon Cart, palletized cruise missile concept.
While details regarding Blizzard's configuration remain limited, BAE Systems describes the system as payload agnostic, allowing operators to integrate different mission packages depending on the required effect. The company highlights several key characteristics, including interoperability with existing and future systems, operation in GPS-denied environments, dynamic retasking capabilities, and weapon open system architecture.
These characteristics reflect many of the requirements that have emerged from recent conflicts, most notably the GPS-denied environment. In fact, military forces increasingly require systems capable of operating in heavily contested environments affected by electronic warfare, degraded communications and sophisticated air defense networks, which are becoming the norm on today's battlefields.
A key aspect of Blizzard is its ability to generate collaborative effects against targets, either operating independently or as part of a wider network of autonomous systems. This approach aligns with the broader concepts of distributed warfare and drone swarms, where multiple lower-cost platforms cooperate to increase operational effectiveness and complicate an adversary's decision-making process.
Among the key features, BAE systems also lists the ability to provides time critical effects, increase the lethality of exquisite munitions and the survivability of crewed assets, rapid redesign through spiral development and operational flexibility through adaptability across multiple roles. These similarly reflects the current trends of defense acquisitions, with militaries around the world looking at low-cost weapons more in line with the value of the target and shorter development times.
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