Next-generation UCAVs will feature new weapons, engines

The orientation of future unmanned combat aircraft (UCAVs) design is in transition from greater maneuverability and high speed, to greater payload and range capability. Planners are discovering that their original goals of building high-speed UCAVs that can turn at least 12 to 15 G, are less important than producing larger, subsonic aircraft that can carry greater numbers of high-performance weapons over farther distances. Such a transition is likewise resulting in a shift in the cost-evaluation for UCAV development, with aplnners and budget builders becoming more inclined to endorse new designs costing from $5 million to $10 million each, instead of $15 million apiece.