Move Fast. Move First.

The future of air power pairs large numbers of collaborative, mission-focused, and cost-imposing autonomous unmanned aircraft alongside the most potent human-crewed fighters of today and tomorrow. A pilot in an F-35 Lightning II or Next-Generation Air Dominance System needs multiple unmanned teammates to provide magazine depth or surveil the battlespace ahead, evade detection, relay their findings, and, if necessary, take action on their own or in concert with the rest of the force.

The symbol of the new era is a bold new unmanned collaborative aircraft system that will reshape the way the Air Force and others do their work: the Gambit Series. 

Unlike other proposed collaborative platforms, Gambit is a series of aircraft, with multiple variants that can be finely tuned for the most particular and demanding missions. This includes separate versions for high-demand ISR, air-to-air engagements, fighter training, and stealthy combat reconnaissance. But, most importantly, they all have something in common.

The Gambit Core

Gambit starts with a core platform that encapsulates a single set of common hardware: landing gear, baseline avionics, chassis, and other essential functions. A common Gambit Core accounts for roughly 70 percent of the price among the various models, providing an economy of scale to help lower costs, increase interoperability, and enhance or accelerate the development of variants.

In this same way Gambit Core establishes a common baseline, then takes on its mission and identity with the addition of different engines, fuselages, wings, and other internal and external characteristics that define four unique variants.

Gambit 1 – Long-Endurance ISR

Gambit 1 is a nimble sensing platform optimized for long endurance. The aircraft can accompany other unmanned aircraft or join with human-crewed aircraft on the leading edge of a strike package, serving as the initial eyes and ears for the air group. The weight savings from high aspect wings and a fuel-optimized engine mean the aircraft can spend more time patrolling a given box of airspace to provide early warning or surveillance.

Gambit 2 – Air-to-Air Combat

Gambit 2 adds the provision for air-to-air weapons. The characteristic outer mold line means the aircraft has less endurance than its pure play reconnaissance sibling. But it more than makes up for that with a newfound ability to hold even advanced hostile aircraft at risk.

Gambit 3 – Advanced Trainer

Gambit 3 looks much like Gambit 2, only optimized for a complex adversary air role. This aircraft will support sorties against some of the most capable U.S. systems, including U.S. integrated air defense systems, along with other current fifth-generation tactical air assets. This is another way in which unmanned autonomous aircraft offer reduced operations and sustainment costs for training our warfighters for the fight ahead.

Gambit 4 – Stealth Combat Recon

Gambit 4 is a combat reconnaissance-focused model with no tail and swept wings. This aircraft is optimized for long-endurance missions of a specialized nature, leveraging low-observable elements and other advanced systems for avoiding enemy detection.