Northrop tests XRQ-73 hybrid aircraft

DARPA, Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites said on May 6 that the XRQ-73, a hybrid-electric unmanned experimental aircraft, flew for the first time in April at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The flight took place under DARPA’s Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration, or SHEPARD, program, which is intended to test the military utility of hybrid-electric propulsion. Northrop describes the aircraft as a Group 3 uncrewed system weighing about 1,250 pounds. Scaled Composites, a Northrop subsidiary, said its test pilot Dr. Mike McLean flew the aircraft remotely. ### Why is this aircraft getting attention now? DARPA announced the flight publicly on May 6, about a month after it occurred. The agency said the April test marked a step in demonstrating hybrid-electric propulsion for defense applications, with the Air Force Research Laboratory participating alongside Northrop. May 6 was also the date Scaled Composites issued its own statement from Mojave, California. (darpa.mil) The company said the XRQ-73 was built to mature hybrid-electric propulsion architectures integrated with mission-focused autonomy. ### What exactly is the XRQ-73 supposed to prove? Northrop says the XRQ-73 is a DARPA “X-prime” program meant to quickly mature a mission-focused aircraft design using a specific propulsion architecture and power class for the Department of Defense. (darpa.mil) DARPA said the program is focused on showing the military utility of hybrid-electric propulsion rather than announcing a near-term production aircraft. (scaled.com) Lt. Col. Clark McGehee, DARPA’s SHEPARD program manager, said the aircraft’s architecture “paves the way for new types of mission systems and delivered effects.” DARPA also said hybrid-electric propulsion can combine fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and operational flexibility in future aircraft designs. ### How is the aircraft configured? Northrop says the XRQ-73 is a flying-wing, Group 3 uncrewed aircraft built with Scaled Composites. (northropgrumman.com) Scaled described it as a vehicle designed around a hybrid-electric system and autonomy-focused mission integration. Aviation International News reported on May 8 that the current aircraft differs from the version publicly shown in 2024. (darpa.mil) The outlet said the latest configuration includes two vertical stabilizers near the wingtips and changes to the air-intake arrangement, indicating the test article was modified before first flight. ### How does SHEPARD connect to earlier work? (northropgrumman.com) AIN reported that SHEPARD draws on technologies from an earlier project called Great Horned Owl. The report said the XRQ-73 received its X-plane designation in June 2024, a month before Scaled publicly unveiled the demonstrator. Northrop says the aircraft leverages series hybrid-electric architecture and selected component technologies from earlier projects. (ainonline.com) That places the current demonstrator in a longer Pentagon effort to extend endurance and payload options for uncrewed aircraft through alternative propulsion approaches, according to AIN’s account of the predecessor program. ### Who is involved in the test campaign? DARPA named the Air Force Research Laboratory and Northrop Grumman as participants in the flight effort. Scaled Composites said it contributed rapid prototyping and flight-test work, while Northrop provided aerospace design and autonomous systems capabilities. Mojave-based Scaled said Dr. Mike McLean remotely piloted the April flight from Edwards Air Force Base. (northropgrumman.com) Northrop’s program page identifies Scaled as a Northrop subsidiary and says the companies built the aircraft together. ### What happens next in the program? DARPA said it plans to advance the technology through the flight-test program after the April first flight. McGehee said the agency is looking to deliver “new capabilities for our warfighters” as testing continues. (darpa.mil) Edwards Air Force Base remains the named test location for the ongoing work. As of May 15, 2026, the public record from DARPA, Northrop and Scaled points to further SHEPARD flight testing rather than a procurement decision or production milestone. (scaled.com) (darpa.mil)