General Atomics has rolled out the latest iteration of its modular Gambit series of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), adapting the common-core airframe for air-to-ground missions while retaining its autonomous core capabilities.
The Loyal Wingman concept of an autonomous drone was pretty simple in the beginning. It was an inexpensive drone that combined AI with the performance capabilities that would allow it to work alongside a conventional piloted fighter plane. Of course, like many simple concepts, the engineering behind it is pretty complex and advanced, but the idea remained simple.
However, these drones turned out to have much more potential than as a simple force multiplier. As the technology becomes more sophisticated, the classes of CCAs are getting more diverse, taking on a new array of mission profiles.
General Atomics' Gambit family started out in 2022 with the Gambit 1, which was designed as a long-endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform. This was followed by the Gambit 2 with air-to-air weapons and the Gambit 3 made for advanced combat training. Then came the Gambit 4 reconnaissance variant with a new tailless, swept-wing design and Gambit 5 made for carrier-based missions.
Gambit 6 pushes these capabilities by adding the ability to carry out air-to-ground operations, meaning it can support ground troops, take out enemy air defenses, and handle electronic warfare duties, as well as working alongside 5th- and 6th-generation fighters like the F-35 Lightning II and the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) systems.
Like the other Gambits, the Gambit 6 uses a modular architecture and an internal weapons bay to enhance the airframe's stealth properties. It can also integrate advanced autonomy systems and sensors.
According to the company, the Gambits will be commercially available in 2027, with special European versions going online in 2029. General Atomics is also looking at manufacturing the aircraft in Europe to support domestic defense production.
Source: General Atomics
