Boeing X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle

Courtesy: NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, DARPA, Boeing
With all the excitement over the Northrop Grumman X-47B flying this week it's easy to forget that this has all happened before, and this will all happen again.

Dryden Flight Research Center signed an agreement with DARPA and Boeing back in 1999 to each develop an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). Boeing and Northrop both developed test models on independent but parallel production paths in order to develop a Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS).

Boeing developed the X-45A demonstration vehicle and Northrop the X-47A. The first flight of the X-45A was in 2002, almost eight years ago.Testing included taxi, takeoff and landing and various airborne activities. One of the key tests for the X-45 was a system to allow for autonomous formation flight and tests delivering weapons on target.

The Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) system demonstration program was a joint DARPA/Air Force/Boeing effort to demonstrate the technical feasibility for a UCAV system to conduct various strike missions within the emerging global command and control architecture. The demonstrations within the program are providing the information necessary to enable decision-makers to determine whether it is technically and fiscally prudent to continue development of UCAV aircraft to perform missions.

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