[youtube = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnvxNdez84%5D
A strange-looking bird of prey took off from California’s Edwards Air Force Base on Friday, flying for a half hour at up to 5,000 feet before landing. While it flew above the Mojave Desert, make no mistake about it: this stealthy, unmanned aircraft will change how the U.S. fights wars over the oceans.
That’s because the Northrop Grumman X-47B is intended for aircraft carriers. That means it has to be able to take off and land on a pitching, four-acre carrier deck in the middle of the ocean without crashing and killing those aboard the ship. The benefits could be substantial — its greater range means the Navy’s $10 billion carriers can steam further away from enemy forces and their ship-killing missiles. It also can threaten increasingly lethal anti-aircraft missile systems without endangering pilots. First tests aboard a carrier are slated for 2013.