TimelineConfirmed24 Aug 2013 00:00 UTCISR / remote-control lineage
Orion first flight, China Lake
24 August 2013 · ~3.5 hours · 8,000 ft · no mission payload
Remote launch from GCS. Air vehicle and command link demonstrated. ISR stack not yet fitted.
Seven months before MH370. Envelope expansion and payload selection were the FY2014 work. Sorties between this date and 8 March 2014 are a priority gap. Aurora’s January 2015 release dates the maiden flight 23 Aug 2013; USAF PB2015 and contemporary Aviation Week use 24 Aug 2013. Retain 24 Aug as the programme date.
Sources
- USAF PB2015 PE 0305205F
Related
OrganisationConfirmed24 Aug 2013 00:00 UTC
Aurora Orion RPA
Twin-diesel MALE UAS · China Lake first flight 24 Aug 2013
LocationConfirmed
NAWS China Lake
Orion first flight · 24 August 2013
ClaimConfirmed
Orion’s first flight carried no mission system
Open questionOpen
What was on Orion flights 2–17 between August 2013 and March 2014?
TimelineConfirmed15 Dec 2014
Orion flight 18 — 80-hour record with 1,000 lb ballast
December 2014 · not an ISR-payload demonstration
OrganisationConfirmed1 Jul 2010 00:00 UTC
MAGIC
Medium Altitude Global ISR and Communications
ClaimConfirmed