Expected capabilities of the Pegasus include a combat radius of 1,300 nautical miles with a payload of 4,500 pounds, and the ability to loiter for two hours over a target up to 1,000 nautical miles away, an operational altitude of greater than 35,000 feet and a high subsonic speed (http://www.kox.sk/?p=373).

The X-47B is planned to be capable for three primary missions; surveillance/reconnaissance, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) and strike and of course all the missions require stealth and consequent survivability.

Surveillance/reconnaissance: The X-47 will have passive and active sensor suites able to cover a large geographic area and have a long loiter time once over the target area.

Suppression of enemy air defense: The X-47 will be capable of defense stimulation, deception and neutralization as well as being remotely networked with theater and national sensor systems. Expect the plane to carry a complement of advanced SEAD ordinance and accurately target multiple enemies simultaneously.

Strike: The X-47 will be extremely survivable and will carry a complement of existing weapons, as well as a synthetic aperture radar and a state of the art electro-optical / infrared suite all the while being interoperable with current C4I systems.

In November 2007 Northrop Grumman has begun installing systems in the first X-47B under the $635 million US Navy unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D) contract won in August. The aircraft is scheduled to make its first autonomous carrier landing in 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aZwZ3kyu-I).

Source: www.air-attack.com