Military’s Secretive XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Drone Looks Like a B-2

DARPA says experimental uncrewed aircraft made its first flight in California in April.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 08, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

DARPA’s secretive XRQ-73 hybrid-electric drone, developed by Northrop Grumman, conducts a test flight out of Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) in California. [Credit: Northrop Grumman]

Key Takeaways:

DARPA and Northrop Grumman's experimental XRQ-73 hybrid-electric drone, designed for stealth and efficiency, successfully completed its first flight in April.
The XRQ-73 is a tailless, flying-wing uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) developed under DARPA's SHEPARD program to explore advanced propulsion systems.
Although the XRQ-73 itself may not enter service, the technologies validated during its flight test campaign are intended to pave the way for new types of mission systems and improve future military aircraft.

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A clandestine, experimental Pentagon drone made its first flight in April after years of preparation, Northrop Grumman and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said Wednesday.

DARPA said that it flew the XRQ-73—a hybrid-electric uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and enable stealthier operations—in April at Edwards Air Force Base (KEDW) in California. The XRQ-73 was first and last seen in 2024, when DARPA gave it a designation and Northrop’s Scaled Composites unit unveiled the design.