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Northrop Grumman SHEPARD X-Plane | Airframer | Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

06/05/2026News:

DARPA and Northrop Grumman fly XRQ-73 hybrid-electric demonstrator

Hybrid-electric flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base has advanced efforts to develop lower-emission military aircraft with greater operational flexibility.

06/05/2026Press Release:
DARPA’s XRQ-73 SHEPARD hybrid-electric experimental aircraft takes off at Edwards Air Force Base, California.		SHEPARD next-gen hybrid electric uncrewed aircraft takes flight
10/07/2024Press Release:
Northrop Grumman designed and built the XRQ-73 SHEPARD Hybrid Electric Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) X-Plane for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.		Northrop Grumman builds next-generation hybrid electric uncrewed X-plane for DARPA
26/06/2024News:
The Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration program, known as SHEPARD, sees its hybrid-electric uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) receive its official X-plane designation, XRQ-73.

DARPA dubs its newest X-plane XRQ-73

The XRQ-73 aircraft will be a Group 3 UAS weighing approximately 1,250 pounds, which draws on the earlier AFRL/IARPA Great Horned Owl (GHO) project. First flight is expected by year-end 2024.

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