AFRL contracts General Atomics to build hybrid-electric GHOST UAV

A conceptual image of the XRQ-73 SHEPARD, another AFRL-involved hybrid-electric UAV. (DARPA)

The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) a USD99.2 million contract to build a hybrid-electric ducted fan-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dubbed GHOST, according to a 27 May contract announcement. It is not clear what the name ‘GHOST' might stand for.

The announcement describes GHOST as a “hybrid-electric propulsion ducted fan next-generation intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance/strike unmanned aerial system”. GHOST likely marries a heavy-fuel engine with electric generators, either of which could power the vehicle through certain phases of flight; electrical generators can be much quieter than jet engines, allowing the aircraft to approach targets without aural detection.

Work is scheduled to be complete by August 2028, the announcement said. It is unclear how many UAVs will be produced under the contract, and GHOST's specifications have not been released.

GA-ASI declined to comment, referring questions to AFRL. AFRL had not responded at the time of publication.

AFRL is also involved with the Northrop Grumman XRQ-73 Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion Aircraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) programme, contracted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in early 2024, a Group-3 UAV intended to demonstrate hybrid-electric UAV propulsion architecture. SHEPARD was a derivative of the joint AFRL-Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency (IARPA) Great Horned Owl programme, about which little is publicly known.