X-47

The Northrop Grumman X‑47 program represents a pioneering chapter in autonomous combat aviation. Initiated in the early 2000s, the effort produced two experimental vehicles: the X‑47A Pegasus, first flown in 2003, and the larger X‑47B, which achieved its maiden flight in 2011. Both aircraft were designed to operate from aircraft carriers without a pilot, testing the Navy’s vision of a fully integrated Unmanned Carrier‑Based Airborne Surveillance and Strike (U‑CASS) system. Key features include a sleek, low‑observable airframe, blended wing‑body geometry, and advanced flight‑control software that enables autonomous take‑off, landing, refueling, and weapons delivery. The X‑47B demonstrated the first carrier‑based autonomous catapult launch and arrested landing, completing multiple sorties that proved precise navigation, collision‑avoidance, and in‑flight sensor fusion. Although the program did not enter production, its technology baseline directly informed later platforms such as the MQ‑25 Stingray and the MQ‑9 Reaper’s naval adaptations. The X‑47 thus holds lasting significance as the first demonstration that a carrier‑borne aircraft could safely and reliably operate without a crew, reshaping future concepts of aerial warfare and carrier operations. Testing took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River and aboard the USS Enterprise, providing data that continues to guide flight algorithms for the U.S. Navy forces.