The Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator made its first arrested landing today on the USS George Bush, the Navy has just announced. It was the first arrested carrier landing by an unmanned, autonomous vehicle and the first by a completely tailless aircraft.
With this test, the UCAS-D program has completed the primary goals that were set when the contract was awarded in 2007 - to build a full-scale autonomous vehicle with the external shape of a highly stealthy, 5000-lb. payload unmanned strike aircraft, launch and recover it on a carrier, and demonstrate that it could operate in carrier airspace and be handled on the deck similarly to a manned aircraft. The demonstration was also carried out within the original six-year span of the contract.
More context from the Navy viewpoint can be found here.
Amy Butler is aboard the carrier and subject to EMCON, but will be filing more once she gets back on land.
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