Boeing

The second DarkStar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) successfully completed its first flight, taking off from the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. DarkStar's flight marks the restart of a test program to evaluate basic system performance, including the high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical (EO) payloads. Boeing builds DarkStar's wings, provides its avionics and integrates its radar and vehicle management system software. DarkStar is a high-altitude, low-observable endurance UAV optimized for reconnaissance in highly defended areas.