Northrop Grumman XRQ-73 SHEPARD

Overview

The Northrop Grumman XRQ-73 SHEPARD (Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration) is a tailless flying wing hybrid-electric Group 3 unmanned aerial vehicle (weighting about 1,250 lb (570 kg)) developed by Northrop Grumman. The prime contractor will be Northrop Grumman's Aeronautic Systems, with Scaled Composites, Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies as suppliers. The XRQ-73 is an evolution of the XRQ-72A Great Horned Owl (GHO).