US Navy's X-47B successfully completes first ever unmanned refuelling test in mid-air | Daily Mail Online
X-47B demonstrates autonomous aerial refueling over the Atlantic Ocean | Defense Update:
A new milestone in the history of unmanned aircraft was made yesterday, as ‘Salty Dog 502′ the first drone designed to operate from US Navy carriers linked to adrogue of an Omega tanker off the coast of Maryland. Although an autonomous aerial refueling between two unmanned aircraft has already been demonstrated by DARPA in 2012, (involving two RQ-4 Global Hawk drones) the recent demonstration represented the first time such operation was performed with standard refueling assets regularly used for manned aircraft.
The autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) tests performed by the Unmanned Carrier Air Vehicle demonstrator (UCAS-D) this month represent the finale of this ambitious program, Naval Air Systems Command said this week. Following these tests the two X-47B unmanned aerial vehicles built by Northrop Grumman will be sent to museums or rest at the boneyard at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., as the Navy’s UAS section, PMA-268 is focused on the next generation program – the Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS). The contract funding these refueling tests will end in June 2015.
Related/Background
- A Drone Has Never Linked Up With a Tanker Until Now — War Is Boring — Medium
- US Navy X-47B Combat Drone Refuels Itself In Air, Autonomously | CrazyEngineers
- Unmanned jet prepares for first aerial refueling
- spendergast: Navy to Conduct First Aerial Refueling of X-47B Carrier Drone | Defense Tech
- spendergast: SECNAV Mabus says F-35C should be Navy's last manned strike jet, UCAS-D to boneyard
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