US think tank urges missile-armed drone to shield support aircraft

A US think tank wants an uncrewed aircraft built to protect large support planes from Chinese fighters armed with long-range air-to-air missiles.

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said in a report that China has spent heavily on weapons such as the PL-17, which it says can reach targets at distances of up to 500km. In a conflict, Chinese fighters including the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-16 would go after slow, non-stealthy aircraft such as airborne early warning and control platforms and tankers.

Planning today relies on crewed fighters to guard these high value airborne assets. The CSBA argues that tying up large numbers of fighters on that task would leave fewer for offensive counterair missions, potentially leaving US Air Force fighters outnumbered by their People's Liberation Army Air Force counterparts.

Using fighters for offensive missions instead would expose American AEW and refuelling aircraft to long-range attack, and losing them would hand the PLAAF advantages in detecting and engaging first. The CSBA says failure to resolve what it calls this attrition-protection paradox could break US long-range air-to-air kill chains and hand air superiority to China.

The think tank points to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 2 competition as a possible answer. It suggests the US Air Force pursue a larger, more capable CCA able to carry substantial numbers of weapons.