US Navy's 'UFO-Like' Stealth Drone Takes Flight

[SpArK]

US Navy's 'UFO-Like' Stealth Drone Takes Flight

The U.S. Navy reached a new milestone for a futuristic new stealth drone when it successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time, engineers announced Tuesday.

Developed by Northrop Grumman, the X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft designed to take off from and land on moving aircraft carriers at sea. New images released today depict a futuristic, almost UFO-like vehicle.

The test flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, helped validate hardware and software that would enable the X-47B to land with precision on a moving deck, the company said.

"Last week's flight gave us our first clean look at the aerodynamic cruise performance of the X-47B air system … and it is proving out all of our predictions," said Janis Pamiljans, vice president and Navy UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier) program manager for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems division.

"Reaching this critical test point demonstrates the growing maturity of the air system, and its readiness to move to the next phase of flight testing."

The aircraft is part of the U.S. Navy’s growing fleet of drones as the military looks to shift away from manned aircraft.

Northrop Grumman hopes to have successfully demonstrated the first carrier-based launch by 2013 with autonomous in-air refueling coming one year later.


US Navy's 'UFO-Like' Stealth Drone Takes Flight | Fox News

 

[indushek]

Its a drone rather than a bomber, so what would be the use of this ?? SEAD missions or what. Some expert comments would be welcome please.

 

[LeGenD]

Its a drone rather than a bomber, so what would be the use of this ?? SEAD missions or what. Some expert comments would be welcome please.

Sneak in to enemy territory, gather sensitive information, and then leave undetected. Perfect for spying. And these will be armed too.

 

[anon45]

Its a drone rather than a bomber, so what would be the use of this ?? SEAD missions or what. Some expert comments would be welcome please.

No expert, but what i've seen basically states that it is a drone bomber, an umanned aircraft that can be controlled remotely to bomb targets with heavier bombs than modern drones can use.

 

[500]

X-47B can carry two 2000-lb bombs. Its basically an unmanned version of F-117.

 

[gambit]

Its a drone rather than a bomber, so what would be the use of this ?? SEAD missions or what. Some expert comments would be welcome please.

A 'drone' is a design type. A 'bomber' is a function type. In other words, one does not need to have a pilot to drop a bomb or fire a missile.

 

[Drawn_Sword_of_God]

X-47B can carry two 2000-lb bombs. Its basically an unmanned version of F-117.

so it can be shot down by a 50 years old SAM?

 

[gambit]

so it can be shot down by a 50 years old SAM?

I see you swallowed that myth, eh?

 

[Don Jaguar]

so it can be shot down by a 50 years old SAM?

Which 50 year old SAM can shoot a stealth bomber?

 

[GURU DUTT]

US Navy's 'UFO-Like' Stealth Drone Takes Flight

The U.S. Navy reached a new milestone for a futuristic new stealth drone when it successfully retracted its landing gear and flew in cruise configuration for the first time, engineers announced Tuesday.

Developed by Northrop Grumman, the X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft designed to take off from and land on moving aircraft carriers at sea. New images released today depict a futuristic, almost UFO-like vehicle.

The test flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, helped validate hardware and software that would enable the X-47B to land with precision on a moving deck, the company said.

"Last week's flight gave us our first clean look at the aerodynamic cruise performance of the X-47B air system … and it is proving out all of our predictions," said Janis Pamiljans, vice president and Navy UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier) program manager for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems division.

"Reaching this critical test point demonstrates the growing maturity of the air system, and its readiness to move to the next phase of flight testing."

The aircraft is part of the U.S. Navy’s growing fleet of drones as the military looks to shift away from manned aircraft.

Northrop Grumman hopes to have successfully demonstrated the first carrier-based launch by 2013 with autonomous in-air refueling coming one year later.


US Navy's 'UFO-Like' Stealth Drone Takes Flight | Fox News

GOD these american's are really good hope to see India to be even 10% of USA in this regard

 

[gambit]

Which 50 year old SAM can shoot a stealth bomber?

The man uncritically swallowed the line about how Serbian air defense commander Zoltan Dani 'modified' his batter to...ahh...detect, track, and finally shot down an F-117. NATO flew about 38,000 sorties over Yugoslavia, including dozens of B-2 sorties that came non-stop from continental US (CONUS). And yet only one F-16 and one F-117 were lost. Why, if whatever Dani did was so effective, was only one F-117 lost and no B-2 at all? If it was so good against 'stealth', it should have been a thousand times more effective against 'non-stealth' and we should have lost far more than just one F-16. There was/is no critical thinking about this. Out of tens of thousands of sorties, only two aircrafts shot. That is not an air defense record to boast about at the bar.

 

[Al Bhatti]

Is it possible to make a Stealth Missile?

 

[GURU DUTT]

Is it possible to make a Stealth Missile?

Yes & its already done by USA & france&Russia &to some extend by isreal also

 

[ashok321]

GOD these american's are really good hope to see India to be even 10% of USA in this regard

India is on its own......

 

[untitled]

Is it possible to make a Stealth Missile?

SIMPLE
Fly the stealth unmanned aircraft in to the the target .... kinda like a stealth kamikaze cruise missile