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DARPA’s Hybrid-Electric XRQ-73 Flying Wing Completes First Flight

The test validates a series hybrid-electric power system built for quieter operation with more power for sensors.

DARPA’s XRQ-73 SHEPARD hybrid-electric experimental aircraft takes off at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Image credit: Northrop Grumman)
DARPA's XRQ-73 SHEPARD hybrid-electric experimental aircraft takes off at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
Image
The XRQ-73 flew in April in California, DARPA said.

Overview

  • DARPA disclosed Wednesday it flew the XRQ-73 in April at Edwards Air Force Base with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Northrop Grumman under the SHEPARD program.
  • The aircraft uses a gas turbine to generate electricity for its motors, a setup that can cut fuel use, lower heat and noise, and send power to onboard mission systems.
  • The Group‑3, roughly 1,250‑pound flying wing now shows twin vertical fins, added intakes, new blade antennas, and a nose fairing that appears to hold a forward camera.
  • Flight testing will now gauge mission performance and signature benefits, while public budget documents leave the program’s longer‑term funding path unclear.
  • The design traces to the XRQ‑72 Great Horned Owl effort and slipped from an expected 2024 debut, with the April flight revealed weeks later in keeping with the program’s quiet profile.