Cool.
Posted on 05/13/2005 4:26:32 PM PDT by Righty_McRight
ST. LOUIS, May 11, 2005— Boeing [NYSE: BA] successfully completed a key Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) X-45C system requirements review with its DARPA, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy customers.
The review was a joint assessment that allows Boeing to continue executing the J-UCAS Capability Demonstration Program (CDP). During the two-day review, Boeing provided a comprehensive X-45C system analysis verifying it has incorporated the customers’ performance requirements into the aircraft. A final design review will occur later this summer.
“This review confirms the X-45C system we designed and are building is on track and is the right solution to meet the customers’ needs,” said Darryl Davis, Boeing Global Strike Solutions vice president. “The feedback we received was extremely positive.”
Under the J-UCAS X-45C CDP, Boeing will build and demonstrate three X-45C vehicles, two mission control elements, and integrate a common operating system. The first X-45C will be completed in 2006, with flight-testing scheduled to begin in early 2007. An operational assessment will begin that same year and will focus on the X-45’s ability to conduct suppression of enemy air defenses; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and strike missions for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.
The X-45C will be 39 feet long with a 49-foot wingspan, cruise at 0.80 Mach at an altitude of 40,000 feet, carry a 4,500 pound weapon payload, and fly a combat radius of more than 1,200 nautical miles.
Boeing previously built two X-45A vehicles, which are currently in flight test and being used to verify the core functionality of the successive software blocks at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. In February 2005, the two X-45A aircraft flew a simulated combat mission during their 50 th flight at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The J-UCAS X-45 program is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/U.S. Air Force/U.S. Navy/Boeing effort to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility and operational value of an unmanned air combat system for the Air Force and the Navy. Operational missions for the services may include persistent strike; penetrating electronic attack; suppression of enemy air defenses; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.5 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world’s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.
### Contact: Bill Barksdale Boeing Air Force Systems (314) 232-0860 (office) (314) 707-3294 (cell)
Cool.
Make the next "test" flight over Iraq.
It has a tailhook?
I wonder if they could make version where the wings fold up, and make it submarine launchable. It would be nice to have a modern-day verison of the Japanese WW2 I-class submarine-carrier
Yes.
That's a X-47 .
Hmm, that's what they had at the above link.
you would have to have a flight deck. Not impossible, but space is at a premium on a sub. The old Jap method was to fill every space inside the aircraft with oil and bolt it to the outside of the sub. Not a low drag way to go.
You could, but why bother -- it has a 1200 mile combat radius with a 4500 lb payload.
AP: The Boeing Corporation was embarrased today by a premature unveiling of their X-45Cylon project, shown here with program manager Ms. Six. The press release included with the photograph mentioned how Boeing "...was very impressed with how Ms. Six kept the boys back in Engineering highly motivated."
Someone ping Art Bell, that looks like one of them UFO's.
Here's a good reason: so you can sit off the east coast of China, and hit military targets in their west, without needing fly-over permission from any other countries.
(Yes, there's that little strip of Afganistan that reaches east and touches China, but they're a soviergn country now, and may not want to be sucked in to another superpower war....)
soviergn = sovereign. One of these days I'll be disciplined and always use spell check!
purty!
The large Japanese subs had enclosures for the aircraft. I'm sure they were "wet", but the aircraft wasn't just strapped to the deck of the sub.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.