On May 14, 2013, the Northrop Grumman X-47B made history by completing the first-ever catapult launch of an unmanned aircraft from an aircraft carrier. The successful launch from the USS George H.W. Bush marked a major milestone in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles for military operations.
The X-47B had previously conducted numerous landings and takeoffs on an aircraft carrier, but this catapult launch was the first time that the drone had been launched from a carrier using the same system used to launch manned aircraft. The successful launch demonstrated that unmanned aerial vehicles could operate alongside traditional manned aircraft in carrier-based operations.
The successful catapult launch of the X-47B was a major milestone in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles for military operations. It demonstrated that unmanned drones could be launched from aircraft carriers using the same systems and procedures as manned aircraft. This means that unmanned aerial vehicles like the X-47B can be used to augment existing military capabilities, without requiring any major changes to existing infrastructure.