General Atomics XQ-67A
| XQ-67A | |
|---|---|
| |
| XQ-67A first flight | |
| Role | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle, loyal wingman |
| Manufacturer | General Atomics Aeronautical Systems |
| First flight | 28 February 2024 |
| Status | Under development |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
The General Atomics XQ-67A is a developmental unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the United States Air Force Off-Board Sensing Station program and as a prototype for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program.[1][2]
Design and development
In February 2023 the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced that GA-ASI had been selected to build and test a UAV for the Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program, intended to fly ahead of and pass data back to manned aircraft. The prototype was publicly unveiled by GA-ASI on 8 February 2024. It is unclear whether or not the XQ-67A is capable of carrying weapons.[3]
The XQ-67A had its first flight on 28 February 2024 from GA-ASI's Grey Butte Flight Operations Facility near Palmdale, California. The AFRL stated that "the XQ-67A is the first of a second generation of autonomous collaborative platforms. Following the success of the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the first low-cost uncrewed air vehicle intended to provide the warfighter with credible and affordable mass, the XQ-67A proves the common chassis or genus approach to aircraft design, build and test... This approach paves the way for other aircraft "species" to be rapidly replicated on a standard genus chassis...The genus can be built upon for other aircraft — similar to that of a vehicle frame — with the possibility of adding different aircraft kits to the frame, such as an Off-Board Sensing Station or Off-Board Weapon Station."[4]
On 24 April 2024, upon being awarded for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) Increment I, GA-ASI announced that the XQ-67A was a prototype for the CCA program and that the official entry for the CCA would be based on the XQ-67A and feature a common core system. It is speculated that the XQ-67A is representative of "Gambit 1", the first iteration of the previously revealed General Atomics Gambit family. However, GA-ASI has made no specific connection between the XQ-67A, the CCA program, and Gambit.[2][1]
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- ^ a b "GA-ASI Selected to Build CCA for AFLCMC". General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b Trevithick, Joseph (24 April 2024). "XQ-67 Confirmed To Be A Prototype For General Atomics' Collaborative Combat Aircraft Design". The Warzone. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "General Atomics unveils XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station UAV". Janes. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "AFRL's XQ-67A makes 1st successful flight". Air Force Research Laboratory Public Affairs. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.