A wingman (or wingmate) is a pilot or

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

who supports another pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ''Wingman'' was originally the

plane Plane(s) most often refers to: * Aero- or airplane, a powered, fixed-wing aircraft * Plane (geometry), a flat, 2-dimensional surface Plane or planes may also refer to: Biology * Plane (tree) or ''Platanus'', wetland native plant * ''Planes' ...

flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

formation. According to the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

The traditional military definition of a "Wingman" refers to the pattern in which fighter jets fly. There is always a lead aircraft and another which flies off the right wing of and behind the lead. This second pilot is called the "Wingman" because he or she primarily protects the lead by "watching his back."

Description

The wingman's role is to support aerial combat by making a flight both safer and more capable: amplifying situational awareness, increasing firepower, and allowing more dynamic tactics.

Origins

The concept of a wingman is nearly as old as fighter aviation. On 9 August 1915,

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

was already acting in the role when he shot down a French airplane pursuing

Max Immelmann Max Immelmann (21 September 1890 – 18 June 1916) '' PLM'' was the first German World War I flying ace.Shores, 1983, p. 10. He was a pioneer in fighter aviation and is often mistakenly credited with the first aerial victory using a synchr ...

. Colonel Robert Smith provided an extensive description of the work and role of wingmen during the

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. Among a wingman's primary responsibilities are remaining close to the leader of the aerial formation and warning the leader of any immediate threats at the cost of losing mutual protection. Smith described the responsibilities as mutually exclusive: to never lose the leader requires that the wingman watch what is in front of him/her while warning the leader of threats requires focusing on the rear. In order to protect the leader, the wingman needs to react constantly according to his surroundings and movements. Smith described the difficulties of flying under conditions of poor visibility and the trying effects on human perception under such conditions, especially considering the danger of becoming separated from the formation leader. According to Smith, wingmen are expected to remain with the leader, even at the cost of giving up an easy kill.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
(UAV) as "loyal wingmen"

The development of UAVs led to the development of such vehicles as "loyal wingmen" flying in formation with a manned fighter aircraft serving in various supporting roles. The European development project FCAS includes such UAVs. The Chinese Feihong Company under the Ninth Academy of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation presented an upgraded version of its "loyal wingman" FH-97A at the 2022

Zhuhai Airshow China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (), also known as the Airshow China () or Zhuhai Airshow (), is the largest airshow and aerospace trade expo in China. It has been held in even years in Zhuhai, Guangdong since 1996. His ...

. The

Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, previously known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS) and the Loyal Wingman project, is a stealth, multirole, unmanned aerial vehicle in development by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAA ...

is another example.

References

Bibliography

* Werner, Johannes (1932). ''Boelcke der Mensch, der Flieger, der Führer der deutschen Jagdfliegerei.'' Leipzig: K.F. Koehler Verlag, 1932; translated and published in English as ''Knight of Germany: Oswald Boelcke, German Ace.'' Havertown, PA: Casemate 2009, first edition 1985. {{ISBN, 978-1-935149-11-8.

External links

"I am a wingman"
article at

United States Air Force Medical Service The United States Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) consists of the five distinct medical corps of the Air Force and enlisted medical technicians. The AFMS was created in 1949 after the newly independent Air Force's first Surgeon General, Maj. ...

(archive)
"What makes a wingman?"
article at

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

(archive) Aerial warfare tactics