US DARPA’s New Top-Secret Aircraft Can Land Without a Runway

[{"selector":"#anim-f0217526-e4a7-4a4c-b747-5a46ea42fa51","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] As per reports, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the US in partnership with the Special Operations Command developed a high-speed aircraft that doesn’t need a runway.

A program known as the Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) was established to meet a growing demand for aircraft that can land on any geographical locations.

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The aircraft’s specific details remain in secrecy, but the proposed design intends to emphasize on speed rather than helicopter-style rotors.

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[{"selector":"#anim-87339791-d4e7-4fef-affb-9acd688b3ae5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] DARPA's Director Stefanie Tompkins has mentioned that the new aircraft could be used for medical evacuations during combat, or even to assist soldiers in accessing geographically hard-to-reach areas.

[{"selector":"#anim-8b3d7805-5c62-4e94-ba50-835acb0613fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is for now the vehicle of choice used by many U.S. special operators and regular forces, which enables both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities.

[{"selector":"#anim-8c9d3bdc-2880-4909-878e-a085c1ade79f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] However, the Osprey has had a inconsistent service record, along with 13 hull loss accidents and 51 fatalities which were reported since its first flight in 1989.

The V-22’s recent clutch issues pushed the grounding of its entire fleet, and this also created a need for alternative solutions.

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The RAND Corporation has foreseen that future wars might require more fluid aircrafts that can land in places with no runways, particularly if airfields are targeted in a conflict.

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DARPA’s new project is one of the multiple options worth exploring along with drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for runway-free takeoff and landing.

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This suggests that the future of aviation forces might be changing rapidly.

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