Northrop Grumman has unveiled a prototype of the XRQ-73 stealth drone with a revolutionary hybrid electric propulsion system.

The image of the aircraft was published on the official website of the corporation.

Northrop, together with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), presented the XRQ-73 drone, which was developed under the SHEPARD – Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration program.

The purpose of this aviation project is to demonstrate and test the latest hybrid-electric aircraft engine technology.

SHEPARD

According to DARPA, the project involves “the use of the GHO hybrid propulsion system and some of its components,” referring to the predecessor project of the XRQ-72A Great Horned Owl, which was developed in the 2010s.

This innovative technology for the aviation industry uses a structure consisting of a power generator and electric motors that create thrust instead of a traditional jet engine.

The use of hybrid technology offers better efficiency, as well as extremely low noise and heat footprint of electric turbines. These advantages should become part of a set of solutions that will ensure significant stealth for the reconnaissance drone.

The fact that the XRQ-73 is a reconnaissance drone can be inferred from the eloquent XRQ-73 index, which is used in the United States to designate reconnaissance drones. At the same time, the first letter X indicates that this aircraft is only a prototype.

The fuselage shape of the flying wing “tailless”, which is used in the B2 and B21 Raider “stealth” bombers, as well as RQ-170 Sentinel reconnaissance drones, also adds to the stealthiness of the aircraft.

Currently, the technical parameters of the XRQ-73 are not disclosed, limited only to its weight of 570 kg. DARPA classifies it as a Group 3 drone, which includes aircraft capable of reaching speeds of 180-460 km/h and flying at altitudes below 5,500 meters.

Northrop said in a statement that DARPA planned to begin scheduled flight testing of the prototype by the end of 2024.

The SHEPARD project’s use of the technical solutions of the propulsion system and some of the spent units of the previous project should accelerate the development of a serial product for the first flight within the next 20 months.