
A top-secret combat drone capable of carrying bombs has been unveiled after years of construction.

It has been called the Boeing Airpower Teaming System and nicknamed 'Project Wingman' by its creators.

The unmanned craft is 38 feet long (11.6 meters), has a 2,000 nautical mile (3,704 kilometre) range and will be launched in 2020.

The drone will be sold by Boeing to air forces around the world and a prototypical model was unveiled today in Australia.

Its developers claim it will be capable of 'independent thinking' thanks to in-built artificial intelligence or working alongside conventional piloted jets on high-risk missions.

A top-secret combat drone (pictured) capable of carrying bombs has been revealed by the nation's air force. Boeing hopes to sell the planes to customers around the world. It will use artificial intelligence to be capable of 'independent thinking'

The unmanned craft is 38 feet long (11.6 meters) and has a 2,000 nautical mile (3,704 kilometre) range. The drone will be sold by Boeing to air forces around the world and a prototypical model was unveiled today in Australia

The precise amount of investment manufacturers Boeing has pumped into the endeavour remains unknown, but is believed to be the largest investment in UAVs outside the US

'Our newest addition to Boeing's portfolio will truly be a force multiplier as it protects and projects air power,' Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Boeing Autonomous Systems, said in the statement.

The model was revealed by Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne at the Avalon aerospace trade show outside Melbourne.

Videos from Boeing show the drone flying alongside a F/A-18 fighter jet as well as an E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

Air Marshal Leo Davies, chief of the RAAF, told the Australian Strategic Policy Institute: 'We can program it to learn, but it learns linearly, it is not emotional and it is in many respects, in an air combat sense, quite inflexible.

'When we look at a pilot's ability to assess the situation, that brings with it an amount of emotion and creativity that allows us to be agile.

'We need the flexibility and agility of the human meshed with the speed of a machine. When we put those together, we've got a quite amazing outcome.'

The precise amount of investment the US firm has pumped into the endeavour remains unknown but is believed to be the largest investment in UAVs outside the US.

The Australian government is investing A$40 million ($28.75 million) in the prototype program due to its 'enormous capability for exports,' Mr Pyne told reporters at the Australian International Airshow.

Four to six of the new aircraft can fly alongside a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, said Shane Arnott, director of Boeing research and prototype arm Phantom Works International.

'To bring that extra component and the advantage of unmanned capability, you can accept a higher level of risk,' he said.

'It is better for one of these to take a hit than for a manned platform.'

Videos from Boeing show the drone flying alongside a F/A-18 fighter jet as well as an E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne (pictured) revealed the Boeing Airpower Teaming System unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Avalon aerospace trade show outside Melbourne

Further details of the 'Loyal Wingman' project remain scant but it's understood the primary purpose of the drone is to conduct electronic warfare and reconnaissance missions in 'risky' terrain.

The UAV is said to be capable of flying up to several thousand kilometres, and can also carrying sensors or electronic warfare equipment on its underside.

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in the United States said last year that the US Air Force should explore pairing crewed and uncrewed aircraft to expand its fleet and complement a limited number of 'exquisite, expensive, but highly potent fifth-generation aircraft' like the F-35.

'Human performance factors are a major driver behind current aerial combat practices,' the policy paper said.

'Humans can only pull a certain number of Gs, fly for a certain number of hours, or process a certain amount of information at a given time.'

The unmanned craft, which is roughly the size of a traditional jet fighter, was developed in Brisbane by aerospace giant Boeing in collaboration with RAAF and the Defence Department

While the drones aren't expected to be deployed until mid-2020, when they are, they could be used alongside existing RAAF aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon (pictured)

An industry source also revealed the drone could also potentially be used to carry bombs one day.

The drones could be used alongside existing RAAF aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon.

The prototype is the first combat craft of its kind to be designed and developed in Australia in more than half a century.

Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Boeing Autonomous Systems, said: 'It is operationally very flexible, modular, multi-mission.

'It is a very disruptive price point. Fighter-like capability at a fraction of the cost.'

She declined to specify whether it could reach supersonic speeds, common for modern fighter aircraft.

The unveiling comes after it was revealed last year the Government had chosen the American-produced MQ-9 Reaper as its first remotely operated aircraft system.

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull also announced the government planned on spending $1.4billion on the first of six remote controlled spy planes.

While the cost of the Boeing 'Loyal Wingman' remains unclear, the publication said the drone is believed to be the company's largest investment outside of the US.

If the drones are a success, the Australian-designed aircraft could be exported to other nations one day.