Northrop Grumman X-47B

The Northrop Grumman X-47B is a demonstration unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed for aircraft carrier operations. The project began under DARPA as part of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems program and then became the United States Navy Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration program. The X-47B is a tailless, jet-powered blended-wing-body aircraft capable of semi-autonomous operation and aerial refueling, and it grew out of the company-funded X-47A Pegasus proof-of-concept. It first flew in 2011, and by 2015 its two demonstrators had completed land-based and carrier-based demonstrations. In August 2014 the Navy announced that the type had been integrated into carrier operations alongside manned aircraft. The demonstrators were meant to become museum exhibits, but the Navy later chose to keep them in flying condition pending further development.