This year’s Farnborough International Air Show was the venue for a major announcement by Anduril. The company has developed Thunder, a group 5 autonomous tilt-rotor attack helicopter designed as a Loyal Wingman for combat choppers.
Though they’re just beginning to enter service, the concept of autonomous combat aircraft working in a team with conventional fighters has become a familiar one in aviation and defense circles. However, in a world where even attack helicopters face the increasing threat of drones and sophisticated air defenses, the Loyal Wingman concept is expanding to include rotorcraft.
Developed in collaboration with Archer Aviation, Thunder is Anduril’s nomination for countering high-threat, low-altitude battle areas. In particular, it’s conceived as a way of keeping valuable attack helicopters like the AH-54 Apache and their crews away from the heat of combat while acting as force multipliers to make the helicopter much more effective.
Thunder: The New Era of Attack Aviation
A tilt-rotor with Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability, the Thunder is smaller than a conventional attack copter, weighing in at over 1,320 lb (599 kg), and is compact enough to fit inside a standard shipping container, yet it packs quite a punch. According to Anduril, its modular payload system can handle up to 10 air-to-ground missiles, including the Hellfire and the Barracuda -100M; 16 air-launched drones; or up to 76 70-mm rockets, along with another 12 counter-drone weapons in the nose. In addition, the Thunder can carry precision munitions, electronic warfare modules, or general cargo.
Along with this firepower, the Thunder is also claimed to be highly maneuverable, thanks to its series-hybrid-electric powertrain featuring Optimum-Speed Tiltrotors (OSTR) with variable rotor speed. By being able to fly alongside an attack helicopter, Anduril says that three Thunders can effectively triple the strength of a single copter at a fraction of the cost of conventional alternatives.
Anduril says that a surrogate aircraft has already completed numerous test flights and a proper prototype is expected to take to the air next year.
Source: Anduril
