British Air Force to Employ Exo-skeletons, Robots for Frontline Military Jet Support

The UK Royal Air Force on Wednesday showed a glimpse in to the future of how its fleet of frontline aircraft could be supported by transformative use of new innovative solutions– from exo-skeletons and virtual reality headsets to robotic ‘team mates’ and use of greener, sustainable solutions and digital twinning.

It was revealed by the Air Force at RAF Coningsby, home to the UK’s Typhoon fleet.

The innovations will significantly reduce costs and improve the availability of front line Typhoon fighter jets and, in the future, Tempest, BAE Systems said in a release.

These technologies could be used to reduce fatigue and chance of injuries among support crews as well as improve the speed of maintenance on aircraft.

Some of the programs being trialed include:

Exoskeletons – allowing aircrew and maintenance teams to safely handle and articulate greater loads;

Autonomous co-bots – these free-moving robots could work in tandem with the exoskeleton users assisting with training and maintenance tasks;

Augmented Reality headsets – allowing data to be visualised in new ways by offering aircraft maintainers hands-free access to technical publications and the capability to view a digital twin of the aircraft and its maintenance history;

Sustainable operations – delivering advanced synthetic training to pilots and aircrew whilst maximising use of renewable resources to help the RAF meet its target of net zero by 2040