Navy drone makes first landing on aircraft carrier

The U.S. Navy conducted a milestone flight test Wednesday off the coast of Virginia when an autonomous drone jet successfully landed aboard an aircraft carrier for the first time.

A Northrop Grumman X-47B aircraft nicknamed “Salty Dog 502” was launched from the deck Wednesday morning and made an arrested landing on aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.

This means the United States can now operate drones overseas without needing to use military bases in other countries.

Landing on an aircraft carrier as it plies the ocean is considered one of the most challenging tasks for a human pilot.

The drone was controlled almost entirely by computer and relied on GPS coordinates and advanced avionics to communicate with the aircraft carrier.

“It’s not often that you get a chance to see the future, but that’s what we got to do today,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

The X-47B is equipped with a stealthy bat-wing air frame and has 2,000-mile (3,200-km) range and the ability to carry the equivalent of two guided bombs.

U.S. President Barack Obama has been criticized for expanding the use of unmanned aircraft to carry out extrajudicial attacks on those Washington believes to be an “imminent threat” to U.S. security interests.

U.S. drone strikes have killed more than 4,700 people overseas since 2004, according to Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Local and international investigations suggest that most of those killed in drone attacks are civilians.