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DARPA Tests XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Drone at Edwards Air Force Base
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced the successful April flight of the Northrop Grumman-built XRQ-73, which uses a mix of electric and jet-fuel propulsion for greater efficiency and stealth. The tailless Group-3 drone, weighing 1,250 pounds, resembles earlier stealth designs but features distinctive winglets. Program manager Lt. Col.
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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency flew an experimental hybrid-electric drone called the XRQ-73 at Edwards Air Force Base in California in April, testing a next-generation propulsion system designed for longer and quieter flight. DARPA announced the XRQ-73 flight on Wednesday.
U.S. Tactical stealth drone built by Northrop Grumman. The XRQ-73 mixes electric and jet-fuel propulsion meant to help the drone burn less fuel and reduce emissions for better stealth. Most medium- to long-range military drones use jet engines or propellers.
The new technology is intended to improve efficiency over conventional systems. "This milestone is not just about a single flight," said Lt. Col. Clark McGehee, the program's manager. McGehee's comment underscored that the April test at Edwards Air Force Base represents progress toward operational hybrid-electric systems rather than an isolated event.
Photos of the XRQ-73 show that its exterior design loosely resembles that of other stealth aircraft such as Northrop Grumman's B-2 Spirit bomber or Lockheed Martin's RQ-170 Sentinel drone. The XRQ-73 appears to feature a stabilizing winglet on each side. Unlike the B-2 Spirit and RQ-170 Sentinel, however, the tailless XRQ-73 features winglets at the ends of each wing.
A front-facing camera is visible near the XRQ-73's nose. The XRQ-73 is a Group-3 drone intended as a medium-sized tactical system that flies below 18,000 feet and at speeds between 115 and 287 mph. DARPA said it weighs about 1,250 pounds.
DARPA said in 2024 that it had expected the XRQ-73's first flight to occur at the end of that year, indicating the drone's development was delayed. The XRQ-73 flew in April in California despite that earlier timeline. Its program is part of a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory called the Great Horned Owl, which aims to develop an efficient ultra-stealthy recon drone.
