Modern - X-47B

The Northrop Grumman X-47B is a demonstration unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) designed for carrier-based operations. Developed by the American defines technology company Northrop Grumman, the X-47B project began as part of DARPA’s J-UCAS program, and is now part of the United States Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. The X-47B is a tailless jet powered flying wing capable of semi-autonomous operation.

The X-47B first flew in 2011, and as of 2015, it is undergoing flight and operational integration testing, having successfully performed a series of land and carrier based demonstrations. In August 2014, the US Navy announced that it had integrated the X-47B into carrier operations alongside manned aircraft. Northrop Grumman intends to develop the prototype X-47B into battlefield ready aircraft, the Umanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) systems, which will enter service in the 2020s.