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During the 1990s, the U.S. Air Force showed renewed interest in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). These aircraft were intended to fly high over defended areas, observe and record information, and even locate and mark targets without endangering a human pilot. One specification resulted in the Lockheed RQ-3 Darkstar, and the prototype first flew on March 26, 1996.
With a fuselage built by Lockheed Martin and wings built by Boeing, the RQ-3 incorporated stealth technology to make it difficult to detect as it cruised above 45,000 feet. Carrying either radar or optical sensors, the Dark Star could immediately send digital information via satellite, allowing data to be examined in near real-time. The Dark Star was fully autonomous; it could take off, fly to the target, operate its sensors, transmit information, return, and land, all without human intervention. If the battlefield situation changed while the Dark Star was airborne, operators could change the UAV's flight plan and redirect its sensors by radio or via satellite.
The first Dark Star crashed on its second flight. A modified, more stable version, designated RQ-3A, first flew in June of 1998. Two additional RQ-3As were built, but they never flew. In 1999, the Department of Defense terminated the Dark Star program, though subsequent UAV designs benefited from Dark Star technology development.
The Museum’s Dark Star is Air Vehicle (A/V) #3. It never flew. It is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
During the 1990s, the U.S. Air Force showed renewed interest in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). These aircraft were intended to fly high over defended areas, observe and record information, and even locate and mark targets without endangering a human pilot. One specification resulted in the Lockheed RQ-3 Darkstar, and the prototype first flew on March 26, 1996.
With a fuselage built by Lockheed Martin and wings built by Boeing, the RQ-3 incorporated stealth technology to make it difficult to detect as it cruised above 45,000 feet. Carrying either radar or optical sensors, the Dark Star could immediately send digital information via satellite, allowing data to be examined in near real-time. The Dark Star was fully autonomous; it could take off, fly to the target, operate its sensors, transmit information, return, and land, all without human intervention. If the battlefield situation changed while the Dark Star was airborne, operators could change the UAV's flight plan and redirect its sensors by radio or via satellite.
The first Dark Star crashed on its second flight. A modified, more stable version, designated RQ-3A, first flew in June of 1998. Two additional RQ-3As were built, but they never flew. In 1999, the Department of Defense terminated the Dark Star program, though subsequent UAV designs benefited from Dark Star technology development.
The Museum’s Dark Star is Air Vehicle (A/V) #3. It never flew. It is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
