Lockheed Martin reveals more details about the Speed Racer: a project to create a multirole drone tailor-made to accompany the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
The drone, first announced in 2021, is going to be air-launched and modular, performing the roles of reconnaissance and electronic warfare platform, or acting as a decoy depending on the mission.
Developed under Project Carrera, it is intended to finish development faster and enter service sooner than other comparable aircraft.
A video by Lockheed Martin, posted on September 15, 2022, portrays what appears to be a preliminary design of the drone, complete with foldable wings and stealth coating.
The main focus of Project Carrera is manned-unmanned teaming, with what the company calls “human-centric” design receiving particular attention, emphasizing ease of control and interaction with the drones.
Considering the teaming aspect, the Speed Racer appears to be another project in the line of loyal wingmen – semi-autonomous drones intended to accompany fighter jets into battle.
According to the video, Lockheed Martin already invested $100 million into Project Carrera.