WASHINGTON (AFP) -
The US Navy announced it had successfully completed the first in-flight refueling of a drone, widely increasing the use and range of the unmanned aircraft.
In a flight along the eastern coast of the United States, the unmanned prototype X-47B approached a tanker aircraft, managed to snag its refueling boom and received two tons of fuel, the US Navy said.
"In manned platforms, aerial refueling is a challenging maneuver because of the precision required by the pilot to engage the basket,? said Captain Beau Duarte in a report by the Navy.
"Adding an autonomous functionality creates another layer of complexity."
The Northrop Grumman-built X-47B is a stealth drone designed for use on aircraft carriers. In 2013, the Navy launched and landed the plane on an aircraft carrier for the first time.
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http://www.france24.com/en/20150423-us-navy-conducts-first-drone-flight-refueling/
