DARPA ends Liberty Lifter wing-in-ground craft programme

Aurora Flight Sciences' Liberty Lifter concept. (Aurora Flight Sciences)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has ended a programme to build a large wing-in-ground (WIG) craft dubbed Liberty Lifter. The demonstrator was meant to prove the ability to move cargo across the ocean at high speed using relatively little fuel. Aurora Flight Sciences was selected in 2024 to build and fly Liberty Lifter by 2027.

“Working with performer Aurora Flight Sciences, the program team demonstrated, in-simulation and scaled model testing, the underlying technical feasibility of the seaplane design. They also built and stress-tested physical examples of the program's novel manufacturing techniques and materials,” DARPA told Janes on 10 July.

“Simulation success and materials testing proved the viability of the Liberty Lifter concept years ahead of schedule. So instead of spending time and money building an aircraft that would only ever serve as a demonstrator, DARPA is working with industry and with DoD [Department of Defense] stakeholders to transition what we've learned to encourage rapid fielding of the technology,” DARPA continued.

“We've learned we can build a flying boat capable of take-off and landing in high sea states; the physics make sense,” said Christopher Kent, DARPA's Liberty Lifter programme manager, in a statement announcing the cancellation. “And we've learned we can do so with maritime building techniques and maritime composites”.

DARPA's Liberty Lifter requirements solicited craft capable of achieving a 6,500 n mile range with six standard cargo containers or two US Marine Corps (USMC) Assault Amphibious Vehicles, handling waves up to 13 ft high (Sea State 5) and flying up to a 10,000 ft altitude.

For more information, please seeDARPA selects General Atomics and Aurora Flight Sciences to design wing-in-ground effect lifters .