Loyal Wingman Project - Aircraft Naming Competition

AAFC are invited to give entries to this rare competion being run by Air Force! Briefly this competition is to pick the name of the new Loyal Wingman Aircraft type. 

Loyal Wingman in mid flight
  1.  Air Force is running a competition to name the aircraft developed by the Loyal Wingman project.
  2. The Loyal Wingman project, also known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, is a partnership between Air Force and Boeing Defence Australia to examine how uncrewed combat aerial systems can support existing crewed aircraft such as the F–35 Lightning II, F/A–18F Super Hornet and EA–18G Growler. The project will enable Defence to better understand how these types of systems can be used as force-multipliers in operations.
  3. The first flight of the Loyal Wingman project aircraft took place in February 2021 and marked the milestone of the first military combat aircraft to be designed and built in Australia in more than 50 years.
  4. Historically, new aircraft are provided with a designator and a popular name that characterises the mission and operational capabilities of the aircraft. Examples are the F/A–18F Super Hornet, P–8A Poseidon, C130J Hercules and MQ–9B Sky Guardian. The Loyal Wingman aircraft designation will be aligned with the United States guidance on Designating and Naming Defence Military Aerospace Vehicles1 and will most likely be MQ–XX with the number (XX) to be agreed with the United States. The aircraft popular name will be decided at the conclusion of this competition.

The following information is provided as guidance:

  • a. The competition is to name the aircraft developed by the Loyal Wingman project.
  • b. The proposed name should be accompanied by a brief explanation of how it characterises the mission and operational capability of the aircraft.
  • c. The competition is open to all Air Force SERCAT 2–7 members and Air Force Cadets and will run from the 01 – 13 October 2021 inclusive.
  • d. Air Combat Capability Branch will develop a shortlist of suggestions for consideration of a winner by Chief of Air Force.
  • e. The winner will be notified after 30 October 2021.
  • f. The winner will have the opportunity to unveil the aircraft’s name during the naming ceremony.
  • g. The selected name will be the property of the Department of Defence.
  • h. All entries must be in line with AAFC Values
  • 6.    Eligible personnel may enter their suggestion for the popular name through the following link:
  • a. Members access: https://members.cadetnet.gov.au/aafc/ 
  • b. if the link fails to load, please copy and paste the link into Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.

The Australian Air Force Cadets acknowledges this country and its traditional custodians.

We acknowledge and respect the spiritual relationship between the traditional custodians and this country which is inspired by language of songs, dance law and dream time stories over many thousands of years and we pay our respect to the elders who have passed into the dreaming, those here today, and those of tomorrow. May we continue to peacefully walk together in gratitude, respect and kindness in caring for this country and each other.