US Navy Stealth Strike Drone: Meet the X-47B

The development of the X-47B began in 2007, when the US Navy awarded a contracts to two aerospace companies, Northrop Grumman and Boeing, to develop prototypes of UCAVs. The X-47B was developed by Northrop Grumman, and it was designed to be a stealthy, tailless aircraft that could operate autonomously or be remotely piloted. Though development costs were quite significant (reaching nearly $1.5 billion by 2015- almost $2 billion on 2023) the program meshed well with evolving Navy requirements .The X-47B was unique in that it was the first UCAV to be developed specifically for use by the US Navy, and it was designed to operate from aircraft carriers.
It was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F100-220U turbofan engine and had a maximum takeoff weight of 44,567 pounds (20,215 kg). It had a range of 2,400 miles (3,900 km, 2,100 nmi).

The UCAS is equipped with electro-optics (EO), infrared (IR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), inverse SAR, ground moving target indicator (GMTI), electronic support measures (ESM), and maritime moving target indicator (MMTI) sensors.

It has two internal weapons bays capable of carrying up to 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg) of ordnance, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bombs (SDB).

A lesser-known fact about the X-47B is its nickname, "Salty Dog," given to the aircraft during its testing on aircraft carriers. This moniker is a nod to the United States Navy tradition of referring to experienced sailors as "Salty Dogs."

[mohan]

Its time to enter into new era in Aviation. Naval UCAV would be game changer in war field

[truenreal]

Love how the navy fights smarter not harder, thats what's going to win wars

[JimPNY]

I worked on the X-47B during the flight test phase at Pax River NAS. It was very impressive. A shame the program was cancelled.

[ugurc]

Turkish Anka-3 stealth drone is in development and is very similar to X-47B. It will make it's maiden flight in the coming weeks.

[RampAgentX]

what's shared, was in operation decades ago...
the "intravenous drip" of technology isn't representative of it's actual delta.

[a.f.a]

Tão bom que vi aqui no Brasil passeando rss

[bobdadnaila]

They've already been running these larger drones in the midair refueling mode

[jamessmith]

If anyone else here has played ace combat 7 then this should be familiar

[neilnacorda]

at the 1:44 mark, why is the drone flying backward? lol

[narcmyrrhlexd]

Next thing you know we're gonna strap these on a real life Arsenal Bird.

[Vcad]

India had already done a maiden flight of Swift drone

[jasonmorgan]

Im not a stealth fighter but man when i cut the cheese your nose wont know what hit it !!! 😵

[jedimindtrixrkidz]

what's all this "was" lol This is already outdated? Neat.

[brianboye]

I can't stand watching this video because the US Navy canceled it. The same old develop, test, and cancel process. Oh yeah, then start all over when china fields the same.

[watb]

the problem with the drone is that no point spending so much on it, these can be easily detected by China and Russia, but not the rest of the world. even india is too backward. China and Russia already has these stealth drone, they found that drone once being shot done, are easily copied. so they spent more on cheap drones

[DarkVader-jjdt]

Great, now we have a drone that's too expensive to fly into battle, a couple of these shot down would result in American bankruptcy.

[lucassanchez]

That thing is ancient now. The imagination goes wild thinking of what they have right meow