For years, we've been hearing about Northrop's killer drone prototype for the Navy. But all we've been able to see of the thing is a Photoshopped robot taking off from an aircraft carrier. Until now.
Flight Global has posted some pictures of Northrop's X-47B under construction. The company was building the carrier-capable bot under a joint Darpa-Navy-Air Force program for combat drones, while Boeing put together an Air Force-oriented machine. But the project was abruptly, and unexpectedly, canceled last year. Only the Navy remained interested. So now Northrop and Boeing are squaring for a $1.9 billion contract to build a killer drone that can take off at sea.
Like so many other squabbles surrounding the military's robotic future, this competition is sure to be downright nasty. But for sheer silliness, no rivalry could hope to compare to one between Northrop (maker of the high-soaring Global Hawk drone) and General Atomics (the brains behind the Predator and Reaper flying 'bots). Here's a video sample:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=
(High five: Ares)
