Boeing will base its US Air Force Skyborg plane on a pilotless jet developed in Australia, according to an executive at the company.

The move, first reported by Reuters, comes days after Boeing Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force carried out a successful first test of its uncrewed “Loyal Wingman” aircraft.

The aircraft is the first military plane be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years.

“The Loyal Wingman’s first flight is a major step in this long-term, significant project for the Air Force and Boeing Australia, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the successful test,” said air vice-marshal Cath Roberts, RAAF head of air force capability. “The Loyal Wingman project is a pathfinder for the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to create smart human-machine teams.Through this project we are learning how to integrate these new capabilities to complement and extend air combat and other missions.”

Last year, the US Air Force dished out multi-million dollar contracts to a number of companies, including Boeing, to develop autonomous aerial prototypes that can team with crewed jets.

“The airpower teaming system is the basis for our Skyborg bid,” Boeing airpower teaming programme director Shane Arnott told reporters. “Obviously the U.S. market is a big market. That is a focus for us, achieving some sort of contract or programme of record in the United States.”

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