The Northrop Grumman designed and built XRQ-73 hybrid electric uncrewed aircraft began flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California to demonstrate hybrid-electric propulsion advancements for DARPA’s next-generation lightweight autonomous systems.
Follow Aeronews on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok
Developed to advance propulsion technologies for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program, the XRQ-73 advances next-generation propulsion for lightweight autonomous aircraft.
The XRQ-73’s innovative hybrid-electric propulsion system combines fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and enhanced operational flexibility – enabling new mission possibilities and supporting the evolution of new aircraft designs.
Northrop Grumman has more than 500,000 autonomous flight test hours across 7 decades of experience in autonomy.