Northrop Grumman XRQ-73 SHEPARD
Appearance
XRQ-73 SHEPARD | |
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General information | |
Type | Unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned aircraft system |
Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems |
History | |
First flight | Planned for year-end of 2024 |
The Northrop Grumman XRQ-73 SHEPARD (Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration) is an tailless flying wing hybrid-electric Group 3 unmanned aerial vehicle (weighting about 1,250 lb (570 kg)) developed by Northrop Grumman.[1][2]
The prime contractor will be Northrop Grumman's Aeronautic Systems, with Scaled Composites,[2] Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies as suppliers.[1]
The XRQ-73 is an evolution of the XRQ-72A Great Horned Owl (GHO).[1][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Meet DARPA's Newest X-plane: XRQ-73". Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). 24 June 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b "XRQ-73 SHEPARD Hybrid Electric X-Plane". Northrop Grumman. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ Rogoway, Tyler; Newdick, Thomas (10 July 2024). "Our Best Look Yet At The XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Stealthy Flying Wing Drone". The War Zone. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
External links
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