The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems have completed a set of technical milestones in the LongShot programme, positioning the air-launched uninhabited vehicle, designated the X-68A, for upcoming flight tests.
The recent phase included full-scale wind tunnel evaluations and successful demonstrations of the parachute recovery and weapons-release systems on the X-68A.
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These outcomes form part of ongoing ground and integration testing, which are aimed at progressing towards a flight test campaign projected as early as late 2026.
The LongShot initiative centres on developing an uninhabited aircraft designed to be deployed from larger crewed platforms. This vehicle would move ahead of other forces to engage aerial targets using its own missiles, thereby enabling crewed fighter aircraft to operate farther from contested environments.
DARPA LongShot programme manager colonel John Casey said: “LongShot burns down significant technical risk and presents a viable path for the military services to increase air combat reach and effectiveness from uninhabited, air-launched platforms.
“With the help of our partners, we’ve completed critical milestones necessary for the integrated flight test campaign, which will validate vehicle performance and lay the foundation for efficient follow-on development.”
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By GlobalDataThe design for LongShot aims for adaptability across multiple launch platforms, including fighters, bombers or as palletised munitions launched from mobility aircraft.
The programme involves collaboration with several US government entities, such as the US Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Life Cycle Management Center, F-15 Programme Office, 96th Test Wing and Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, and US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, among others.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems holds responsibility for leading industrial efforts in designing, constructing, and demonstrating the LongShot system.
The forthcoming series of flight tests will focus on validating the X-68A’s safe deployment from an F-15 aircraft. This is intended to confirm its flight characteristics and assessing its capability to eject captive sub-munitions safely.
