X-47B Carrier Drone Passes Air Worthiness Tests; Carrier Takeoffs, Landings Next Year

The unmanned aircraft most likely to become the first to takeoff and land on aircraft carriers is moving to the next phase of testing, moving from Edwards Air Force Base to the Navy's main operational test site at Patuxent River, Md.

The X-47B, also known as the Navy's UCAS-D, soared higher than 15,000 feet and flew at a speed of 180 knots during more than 23 flights and 50 tests. The aircraft moved to Maryland yesterday.

It also "demonstrated multiple maneuvers relevant to carrier operations, including extending and retracting a tail hook, completing an autonomous 'touch-and-go' landing – an aviation first – and performing landings at a high sink rate and in a heavy weight configuration," according to a Northrop Grumman press release.

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