Lilium is developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) “jet,” which uses ducted electric vectored thrust engines. It’s not a jet engine in the traditional sense, but an electric motor-driven propulsion system. The distinction lies in the absence of combustion; it relies on electric motors to power fans for thrust. So, while it’s called a “jet,” the term is being used more for marketing than technical accuracy.
A little-known company in California’s high desert will deliver a new prototype aircraft to help the US military train its pilots against advanced stealth fighters.
Tehachapi-based Sierra Technical Services (STS) was awarded a $77.1 million Pentagon contract on 4 August to deliver a prototype uncrewed aerial target aircraft capable of replicating the flight characteristics of the most-advanced enemy fighter jets.
“Key amongst these characteristics”, according to the Pentagon, “is size, signature and electronic attack payloads.”
Those attributes “significantly impact acquisition, tracking and guidance of anti-air systems”, the Pentagon contract announcement with STS notes, saying the fifth-generation traits must be “adequately represented” in a target platform to ensure proper testing.
STS has previously described its experimental 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) as a “high-performance, unmanned, fighter-size aircraft” meant to be “threat representative”, including low observability.
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