DARPA’s XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Completes First Flight At Edwards Air Force Base - Victor Valley News

Military unveils futuristic aircraft

The Pentagon’s research arm has unveiled a hybrid-electric experimental unmanned aircraft.

DARPA’s XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Completes First Flight At Edwards Air Force Base - Victor Valley News

The XRQ-73 hybrid-electric unmanned aircraft successfully completed its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base as part of DARPA’s SHEPARD program. Officials say the technology could lead to future military aircraft with improved fuel efficiency and operational flexibility. Read the article at VVNG.com. #EdwardsAirForceBase #VVNG #News The post DARPA’s XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Completes First Flight At Edwards Air Force Base appeared first…

Hybrid-electric US drone tested for 18,000-foot flight, 288-mph speed

A new US military drone with hybrid-electric propulsion made its first flight in April 2026. This marks an important step toward developing quieter combat and surveillance aircraft. Northrop Grumman and its subsidiary, Scaled Composites, designed the unmanned XRQ-73, which made its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency later confirmed the flight and called it a key milestone for hybrid-electric mil…

The US military flew an experimental, hybrid-electric stealth drone shaped like the B-2 Spirit

The XRQ-73 flew in April in California, DARPA said.DARPAAn experimental US tactical stealth drone called the XRQ-73 just took flight in California.The US military said the stealth drone mixes electric and jet fuel propulsion for better efficiency.The drone is shaped like other stealth aircraft, such as the B-2 Spirit and the RQ-170 Sentinel.The US military's defense tech agency said on Wednesday that it flew an experimental hybrid-electric drone…

DARPA begins flying experimental hybrid-electric ISR drone

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has notched the first flight of the XRQ-73, a reconnaissance drone designed to demonstrate hybrid-electric propulsion technologies for future autonomous systems. The flight occurred in April at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory and prime contractor Northrop Grumman, DARPA announced Wednesday. The drone is being developed under the agency’s Ser…

DARPA complete first flight of XRQ-73 hybrid stealth drone

DARPA flew a hybrid-electric unmanned experimental aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base in April 2026, marking the first flight milestone for a propulsion architecture the agency believes could fundamentally change how military aircraft are designed and what they can do. The aircraft, designated XRQ-73, was developed through DARPA’s Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration program, […]