How effective is European air defence and how can we improve it? To be able to assess the situation and develop new technologies, the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) need the expertise of scientists. The Federal Government's aim is for DLR researchers to safeguard and expand the German Armed Forces' ability to analyse and evaluate military aircraft.
The air defence of the future is becoming increasingly complex. As European air forces will have to renew or replace their aircraft fleets in the foreseeable future. The necessary changes include the modernisation of existing weapon systems such as the Eurofighter and its midterm replacement by introducing the Next Generation Weapon System (NGWS), a German-French-Spanish common development program, which aims as well to find solutions for a future air defence system. The DLR project WingMates and the results from the predecessor projects Mephisto and Diabolo are making a significant contribution to the further development of scientific approaches and processes so that the Federal Ministry can use this expertise to investigate and assess the potential of future platforms - such as a combination of different flying units that operate optimally with each other within a defence system.
The objectives are:
Design, analysis and evaluation of multiple aircraft within an air defense formation..
Develop design, analysis and evaluation approaches to study how the design of the platforms changes as capabilities are moved from one platform to another.
Automisation of the design, analyses and evaluation process of military configurations within the RCE research software developed by DLR.
Improve\ prediction capabilities in the areas of flight physics, propulsion, signatures, structure and aeroelasticity and to improve the understanding of physical principles of action.
Improve the understanding of interaction between disciplines and technologies, systems and design rules through highly accurate experimental and numerical simulations.
The contributions of the Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technologies in Braunschweig and Göttingen are on the development of numerical and experimental aerodynamic method development, aerodynamic design and optimization, experimental and numerical configuration analysis and evaluation, transonic engine intakes, thrust vector control, weapon bay aerodynamics, active flow control, aeroacoustics and signatures as well as investigation to apply CFD for the qualification of defense applications.
Project
WingMates - Development of platforms and technologies as a contribution to a future air defence system
Term
1/2024 - 12/2027
Partners
Airbus Defence and Space
MTU Aero Engines
Universität der Bundeswehr München
DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology (Lead)
DLR Institute of Aeroelasticity
DLR Institute of Propulsion Technology
DLR Institute of Flight Systems
DLR Micorwaves and Radar Institute
DLR Remote Sensing Technology Institute
DLR Institute of Software Technology
DLR Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics
