GA-ASI XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS)

[aonestudio]

General Atomics' XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station Drone Breaks Cover

The secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program now has a real aircraft, and it's likely a glimpse of much more to come.

www.twz.com

 

[quellish]

General Atomics' XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station Drone Breaks Cover

The secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program now has a real aircraft, and it's likely a glimpse of much more to come.

www.twz.com

Undisclosed location = grey butte

 

[Forest Green]

General Atomics' XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station Drone Breaks Cover

The secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program now has a real aircraft, and it's likely a glimpse of much more to come.

www.twz.com

 

[TomcatViP]

While Ticktockers criticize Boeing, the drone that shapes tomorrow Unmanned aviation is a MQ-25....

 

[aonestudio]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_PgybR7ARQ

 

[GeorgeA]

XQ-67A first flight.

AFRL’s XQ-67A makes 1st successful flight

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace Systems Directorate successfully flew the XQ-67A, an Off-Board Sensing Station, or OBSS, uncrewed air

www.afrl.af.mil

 

[B2Blain]

Correct me if I am wrong, but OBSS seems to be different than the CCA increment 1, which I believe the AF is shooting for 1/4 the cost or an F-35.

 

[snne]

I really dig this little aircraft! I hope it becomes a part of the future fleet.

#BREAKING: First successful flight of @afresearchlab XQ-67A! The XQ-67A is the first of a second generation of @usairforce autonomous collaborative platforms. Learn more: https://t.co/iWz4zQntwk#AFResearchLab |#AFRLTech |#USAF pic.twitter.com/NHrcpGxTs0

— Air Force Research Lab - AFRL (@AFResearchLab) February 29, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/AFResearchLab/status/1763290186811646031?t=_NzqIOyjfMgoRqNrXvOB1g&s=19

 

[aonestudio]

GA-ASI Makes First Flight of XQ-67A OBSS

GA-ASI flew the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) for the first time on Feb. 28, 2024. OBSS is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program and GA-ASI was selected in 2021 to design, build and fly the new aircraft.

www.ga-asi.com

 

[Forest Green]

The XQ-67A Has A Secretive, Higher-Performance, Deadly Cousin

The announcement of the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station drone's first flight also disclosed a parallel Off-Board Weapon Station effort.

www.twz.com

 

[Forest Green]

Carmaker model may yield cheaper drone wingmen: Air Force Research Lab

AFRL hopes building drones on a common chassis structure, the way the auto industry builds cars, will let it turn out aircraft cheaper and more quickly.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Forest Green]

“Alexander says this platform [XQ-67A] is largely the same as the design the company submitted for CCA. It shares the same landing gear and primary structure with a slight change to the wing slope” https://t.co/JMmPwAfebh pic.twitter.com/Ivn2UuO6D6

— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) April 26, 2024

View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1783650194904481845

 

[Forest Green]

X-67A first flight video!

Built by @GeneralAtomics for @AFResearchLab pic.twitter.com/Y1kTtVosNA

— The Merge 🇺🇲 (@MergeNewsletter) May 23, 2024

View: https://x.com/MergeNewsletter/status/1793660596992582038

 

[TomcatViP]

So, 28th of February?

Notice that there is a bdl ingestion scoop at the base of the inlet and a bypass outlet at the top.

I guess the outlet is to drive the airstream through the S-duct at all regime of flight.

Note also that there is some CGI shots embedded within the video.

 

[aonestudio]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MCwYT6dS3Y

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LtWQ9rT3Eg

 

[bobbymike]

Air Force Releases First Video of XQ-67 CCA Prototype in Flight

The Air Force released the first video of the XQ-67, a prototype for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, its fleet future autonomous drones.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[Forest Green]

The U.S. Air Force needs to rapidly and cost-effectively build affordable mass and enhance the capabilities of fighter pilots today.

Enter the Air Force Research Laboratory's #XQ67A

XQ-67A is the first advanced unmanned combat aircraft built and flown using a common core… pic.twitter.com/WtaOK0ZbmB

— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) August 13, 2024

View: https://x.com/GenAtomics_ASI/status/1823336241099874593

 

[Forest Green]

Wittman: No 'reservations’ about loyal wingman CCA drones' affordability - Breaking Defense

“I don't have reservations about affordability of CCA, because I think just by their very nature, they want to be much less expensive,” Rep. Rob Wittman told Breaking Defense. “What I want to make sure of is that we don't try to take a CCA that's a basic platform and add a bunch of cost to it...

breakingdefense.com

 

[aonestudio]

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall joined GA-ASI President David Alexander to review a 1:1 model of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Kendall left his signature on the fuselage. #ASC24 @SecAFOfficial pic.twitter.com/LsSjIguG9r

— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) September 16, 2024

View: https://x.com/GenAtomics_ASI/status/1835741778894315994

Making it from the drawing board to the runway in less than two years, the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station is built with a common core chassis, proving the “genus/species,” automaker-like approach to rapidly manufacturing affordable mass. #ASC24
https://t.co/8KJpxQ9xOV pic.twitter.com/kVGzMFkXey

— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) September 17, 2024

View: https://x.com/GenAtomics_ASI/status/1836065571550499228

New Unmanned Combat Aircraft Star in Major Air Force Conference Outside Washington D.C.

Congressional, military and other influential attendees are taking their first look at two revolutionary aircraft types on display at the Air Force Association's annual conference.

www.uav.com

 

[Forest Green]

So can it actually carry any armaments, or is it strictly come sensing?

 

[TomcatViP]

See here perhaps (notice that they all have those large side bays - See furry behind the nose cone and for the GA-ASI CCA where Kindall signed the model):

 

[Forest Green]

XQ-67 Getting Overhauled With New Capabilities As Part Of Demon Ape Program

New XQ-67A testing is building on a modular chassis concept, which is feeding into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program.

www.twz.com

The now flying @GenAtomics_ASI "XQ-67A" is already demonstrating & will continue to enhance the "Genus common platform architecture" approach USAF Research Lab is taking on future unmanned platforms. AF is looking to upgrade the #XQ67A further to additional development & testing. https://t.co/RIEnNC30sf pic.twitter.com/lajXU2UDQ7

— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) January 24, 2025

View: https://x.com/AirPowerNEW1/status/1882775676656505074

 

[aonestudio]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hd0Mvn5m3s

 

[TomcatViP]

Anybody sees any flaps out in that landing?

 

[FlyGuy369]

Anybody sees any flaps out in that landing?

Mildly

 

[TomcatViP]

@FlyGuy369 : Thanks.

The landing was curious in the video, with a near absence of flare.

 

[FlyGuy369]

@FlyGuy369 : Thanks.

The landing was curious in the video, with a near absence of flare.

I image that the coming years, even decades will start to see drastic changes in flight profiles and we may be witnessing the start (speaking of the flare)