X-68A LongShot Drone Will Carry Missiles Closer to the Fight
AI Analysis
The X-68A LongShot, developed by General Atomics and DARPA, is an air-launched drone designed to carry and fire multiple air-to-air missiles. Initial flight tests are planned for late 2026, with the system being adaptable to various aircraft platforms.
Key Takeaways
- X-68A LongShot is an air-launched drone developed by General Atomics and DARPA.
- The drone is designed to carry and fire multiple air-to-air missiles.
- Initial flight tests are expected to begin by the end of 2026.
- The system is host-platform agnostic, suitable for fighters, bombers, and mobility aircraft.
- LongShot aims to enhance pilot safety and mission effectiveness by engaging targets from a distance.
Why It Matters
The X-68A LongShot represents a significant advancement in drone warfare, potentially transforming air combat by allowing manned aircraft to engage targets from a safer distance. This development could enhance the strategic capabilities of the U.S. Air Force and Navy, providing a tactical edge in contested airspaces.
X-68A LongShot Drone Will Carry Missiles Closer to the Fight [Skip to content] [ ] [ ] [My AFA Account] [Search] [My AFA] [Search] ![] Close Image ![] [![]] [![]] ADVERTISEMENT An artist's concept of a notional scenario of LongShot aircraft releasing air-to-air missiles. Source: DARPA | Colie Wertz [Expand Photo] ![]
DARPA’s New X-Plane: Meet the X-68A LongShot Drone
Feb. 20, 2026 | By [Greg Hadley]
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- [] Share Article Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org The Air Force has a new X-plane: The X-68A LongShot from General Atomics is an air-launched drone intended to carry additional air-to-air munitions. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has been [developing LongShot since 2021], and [announced on Feb. 17] that flight testing could begin “as early as the end of 2026.” DARPA described its objective in 2022 as an air-launched system capable of carrying and firing multiple air-to-air missiles. That remains the long-term goal: [Budget documents] describe the LongShot as being able to engage multiple targets with “highly energetic air-to-air missiles.” Initial flight tests will rein in those ambitions slightly, focusing on firing a single “captive sub-munition,” according to DARPA. The first flight tests will launch from F-15 fighters, but in its releases, General Atomics has noted that LongShot is intended to be “host-platform agnostic,” meaning it could be employed by fighters, bombers, or even from mobility aircraft as a palletized munition. DARPA budget documents also note the system could be of interest to the Navy. LongShot has the potential to “fundamentally change air combat operations,” DARPA and General Atomics contend in separate press releases. It promises to keep conventional crewed fighters “farther from the front lines, drastically increasing pilot safety while extending the overall force package reach and mission effectiveness,” both releases state. Previous DARPA budget documents described LongShot entering contested airspace at a low-speed, then challenging adversaries with high-speed projectiles. DARPA initially signed development deals with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, in addition to General Atomics, but tapped GA’s solution for continued development in 2022. The LongShot vehicle has already completed full-scale wind tunnel tests and “successful trials of the vehicle’s parachute recovery and weapons-release systems,” DARPA said. This year, armed with a $76.9 million for the X-68A, DARPA aims to complete initial flight tests certifying the platform’s performance and stability and then start live-fire