{| |} the boeing x-45 unmanned combat air vehicle is a concept demonstrator for a next generation of completely autonomous military aircraft, developed by boeing's phantom works. manufactured by boeing integrated defense systems, the x-45 was a part of darpa's j-ucas project. ==development== boeing developed the x-45 from research gathered during the development of the bird of prey. the x-45 features an extremely low-profile dorsal intake placed near the leading edge of the aircraft. the center fuselage is blended into a swept lambda wing, with a small exhaust outlet. it has no vertical control surfaces â split ailerons near each wingtip function as asymmetric air brakes, providing rudder control, much as in northrop's flying wings. thumb|left|x-45a test flight removing the pilot and its associated facilities dramatically reduces the aircraft's cost. operators may remotely command the aircraft, but the actual piloting is autonomous. ==variants== ===x-45a=== boeing built two of the model x-45a; both were scaled-down proof-of-concept aircraft. the first was completed by boeing's phantom works in september 2000. the goal of the x-45a technology demonstrator program was to develop the technologies needed to "conduct suppression of enemy air defense missions with unmanned combat air vehicles." the first generation of unmanned combat air vehicles are primarily planned for air-to-ground roles with defensive air-to-air capabilities coupled with significant remote piloting. thumb|x-45a underside with weapons bay door open the x-45a had its first flight on may 22, 2002, and the second vehicle followed in november of that year. on april 18, 2004, the x-45a's first bombing run test at edwards air force base was successful; it hit a ground target with a 250-pound inert precision-guided munition. on august 1, 2004, for the first time, two x-45as were controlled in flight simult
Boeing_aircraft DARPA Edwards_Air_Force_Base Single-engined_jet_aircraft Stealth_aircraft Tailless_aircraft United_States_experimental_aircraft_2000a2009 Unmanned_experimental_aircraft Unmanned_military_aircraft_of_the_United_States