A USAF C-17 airdrops a dummy rocket to simulate the DARPA-USAF “QuickReach”-a proposed new small satellite booster-demonstrating that the booster would not impact the cargo bay on the way out.
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.