This drone, designed by the American company Kratos, has the disastrous name Thanatos. Stealth, in the coming years, could join the ranks of combat drones as a fighter pilot or bomber.
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It bears the ominous name Thanatos, meaning the embodiment of death, and is the stealth combat drone project of the American company Kratos Defense and Security Solutions. The defense industrialist has just provided the first graphical rendering of the plane, and little is known about its technical characteristics other than its stealth capability. We notice a shovel-like nose and the absence of a tail and fin. There are several elements that make it possible to reduce the radar signature of an aircraft. We also see two mixed air inlets in the fuselage to supply the engine. However, it is difficult to know whether the drone has two reactors or not. Its wings are diamond-shaped. A structure that is supposed to reduce drag at subsonic and supersonic speeds. In other words, the drone will be designed to operate at high speed, while maintaining secrecy.
Collaborative stealth drone project
If Kratos does not currently indicate the identity of his client, the presence of USAF markings is sufficient evidence, even if it is clear that no contract has been signed at the moment. However, the hardware fits perfectly with the software Combat Aircraft Cooperative (CCA) of the United States Air Force. This means it will be designed for cooperative combat with other drones and combat aircraft. In addition to being equipped with drones carrying munitions, the program also includes electronic warfare capability components. So we could find this Thanatos as a wingman for the F-35 or the future B-21, the prototype of which is gradually being revealed. Given the CCA specifications, we can expect a drone with great autonomy. Kratos is not the only one offering drones in this category, but its position with Thanatos shows that the manufacturer is confident of securing a contract with the US Air Force. Kratos already has an asset with the XQ-58A Valkyrie that is still being tested by the US Air Force. Like him, Thanatos would be very technologically advanced. On the other hand, the manufacturer’s aircraft are also more expensive than what the competition can offer.
