Pentagon develops high-speed aircraft that does not need runways

The Pentagon's new aircraft model (Photo: DARPA).

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently announced that it has coordinated with the Special Operations Command to carry out the Speed ​​and Runway Independence Technology ( SPRINT ) project, with the goal of landing aircraft on unavailable runways at high speed.

DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins said the new aircraft could be used in combat for medical evacuations or to support soldiers in remote locations.

Details of the program are still unclear, as most DARPA projects are kept strictly secret. However, according to sources, drawings of the mysterious aircraft show that it lacks helicopter blades and emphasizes speed.

This project could meet the growing need for future aircraft to be able to land in places without runways.

If the DARPA project is successful, the new aircraft could join the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as a solution for militaries trying to quickly get into rugged terrain.

The Osprey, a tiltrotor military aircraft capable of both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities, has become the vehicle of choice for many US special operations and regular forces.

But the Osprey has yet to prove itself. Since its first flight in 1989, the V-22 has been involved in 13 crashes, killing 51 people.

The Osprey fleet has recently been grounded due to a clutch issue that sometimes disengages during landing, leading to potential accidents.

Despite those problems, the V-22 helped fill an important gap in US military strategy.

Using rotors, the Osprey can take off and land in tight spaces or without a runway like a helicopter. Once off the ground, the rotors can rotate forward for horizontal flight, transforming the V-22 into a faster, more fuel-efficient turbine aircraft.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could be part of the solution to finding landing spots without runways.

Weapons company BAE Systems recently demonstrated its new Strix VTOL drone, which can fit inside a standard shipping container and carry a variety of weapons, including the AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missile.

It is seen as the aircraft of the future because wars in the coming years may require the use of aircraft that can land in places without runways. A report by the RAND Corporation predicts that if China attacks Taiwan, the conflict could begin with the destruction of its airfields.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/lau-nam-goc-phat-trien-may-bay-toc-do-cao-khong-can-duong-bang-20230306100811976.htm