The U.S. Navy made aviation history on Wednesday when its X-47B drone was able to successfully complete an aerial refueling.
Roughly 4,000 pounds of fuel were loaded onto the X-47B on Wednesday from an Omega K-707 refueling tanker flying off the coast of Maryland and Virginia.
“What we accomplished today demonstrates a significant, groundbreaking step forward for the Navy. The ability to autonomously transfer and receive fuel in flight will increase the range and flexibility of future unmanned aircraft platforms, ultimately extending carrier power projection,” Capt. Beau Duarte, the manager for the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program, said in a statement, CNN reported.
The drone is a part of the Navy’s Unmanned-Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike system. Officials are aiming to have it ready to deploy by 2020.
Navy Rear Adm. Ted Branch said the refueling success on Wednesday was “really a red-letter day,” CNN reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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