X-68A LongShot uncrewed aircraft program designated by U.S. Air Force
NewsFebruary 20, 2026
SAN DIEGO, California. The U.S. Air Force has assigned the experimental designation X-68A to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) LongShot program being developed with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the company announced in a statement.
The LongShot concept centers on an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) intended to be launched from a larger aircraft and to carry air-to-air missiles for engaging airborne targets, the statement reads. GA-ASI says DARPA has completed wind tunnel testing and additional program milestones, and that the X-68A designation formalizes the program’s status as an experimental platform, according to the statement.
GA-ASI says the design is intended to be compatible with multiple host platforms, including fighters and bombers, and could also be employed as a palletized munition from mobility aircraft, the statement adds. The company says the program is building toward a flight-test campaign as early as late 2026, including tests intended to show deployment from an F-15 Eagle and to demonstrate safe separation of a captive sub-munition, according to the statement.
GA-ASI notes that the X-68A is its second X-plane designation following the XQ-67A Off Board Sensing Station effort for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the company says.
