The US Air Force demonstrated the flight of the latest X-67A strike and reconnaissance drone for the first time
The U.S. Air Force released a video of the first flight of the XQ-67A demonstration drone. The successful flight of the XQ-67A marked a major advance in the US Air Force’s program to automate a significant portion of its fleet.
The XQ-67A is an Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) unmanned aerial vehicle, but the AFRL also introduced another concept, the Off-Board Weapon Station (OBWS), which will share a chassis with the OBSS but will be “faster and more efficient,” more maneuverable with a longer range.
The goal of these concepts is not just to help develop Loyal Wingman drones capable of working with manned combat aircraft as a single-use platform for reconnaissance and strike operations, but to do so using automotive design and manufacturing technologies. This will allow one drone to become the basis of an entire family of drones.
Based on the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the XQ-67A is designed to work with the Air Force Test Center’s X-62 VISTA and F-16 VENOM projects to advance the development of autonomous aviation systems for both drones and manned aircraft.
The goal is to create a fleet of drones that will turn fighter pilots into senior leaders who are more concerned with mission accomplishment than with flying drones or even combat.
The tests were aimed not only at checking the flight systems but also at the safety of the drone. The flights were conducted under remote control, although the degree of autonomy will increase in the future.
