DARPA Successfully Demonstrates X-61 Gremlins Drone In Airplane C-130 Hercules

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) successfully demonstrated the recovery of an X-61 Gremlins drone, retrieving it into a C-130 Hercules aircraft mid-air. The complex maneuver was part of the Gremlins program and took place last month in Utah. DARPA’s Gremlins program envisions launching groups of up to four drones from large aircraft such as bombers or carriers while they are out of the range of enemy defenses. Gremlins were designed to work in conjunction with Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which is assigned to retrieve the vehicles while in flight and carry them back to the base. Once at the base, the drones can be reused within 24 hours.