DARPA unveils XRQ-73 X-plane

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has assigned the ‘XRQ-73’ designation to its latest X-plane.The allocation was announced on 24 June 2024. The XRQ-73 will be an autonomous flying wing-designed reconnaissance aircraft prototype, developed as part of the Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) programme, which is expected to take flight later this year.A part of DARPA’s wider ‘X-prime’ programme, SHEPARD aims to leverage and build upon hybrid technologies and other components that were developed under the earlier