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The Air Force now possesses a novel X-plane: The X-68A LongShot, manufactured by General Atomics, is an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to be launched from the air and intended to transport supplementary air-to-air weaponry.
Since 2021, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been engaged in the creation of LongShot, and on February 17, it declared that initial aerial evaluations might commence “by late 2026.”
In 2022, DARPA outlined its aim for LongShot: an aerial launch platform able to transport and discharge numerous air-to-air projectiles. This aspiration persists as the protracted objective: Funding records characterize the LongShot as possessing the capability to confront several adversaries using “potent air-to-air missiles.” However, initial flight trials will temper these grand plans somewhat, concentrating on the discharge of one “contained sub-munition,” as per DARPA.
Though initial aerial assessments will deploy from F-15 combat aircraft, General Atomics has pointed out in its statements that LongShot is conceptualized to be “independent of its launch platform,” implying its potential deployment from various craft, including fighter jets, heavy bombers, or even transport planes, functioning as a packaged weapon.
Furthermore, DARPA’s fiscal records indicate that the Naval forces might find this system relevant.
LongShot holds the capacity to “profoundly transform aerial warfare,” as affirmed by DARPA and General Atomics in distinct announcements. It offers the prospect of positioning traditional piloted fighter jets “at a greater distance from battle zones, thereby significantly boosting aviator security while simultaneously augmenting the entire combat unit’s range and operational success,” both communiques declare.
Earlier DARPA financial reports depicted LongShot infiltrating disputed airspaces at a reduced velocity, subsequently confronting opponents with rapid projectiles. Initially, DARPA entered into developmental agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, alongside General Atomics, but in 2022, it opted for GA’s proposal for ongoing advancement.
The LongShot craft has already undergone extensive wind tunnel evaluations and “effective assessments of its parachute retrieval and armament deployment mechanisms,” stated DARPA. With a budget of $76.9 million allocated for the X-68A this year, DARPA intends to finalize preliminary aerial trials validating the system’s capabilities and steadiness, and subsequently commence actual weaponized flight evaluations.
The X-68A represents General Atomics’ subsequent X-plane, following the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station. This earlier uncrewed aircraft was constructed for the Air Force Research Laboratory, made its maiden flight in 2024, and serves as the foundation for General Atomics’ YFQ-42A, which is its submission for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative.
This article’s audio content is presented by the Air & Space Forces Association, in tribute to and aiding our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Discover further details at afa.org