Phantom Ray and NASA 747 test flight from Lambert Airport, St. Louis.

Stealthy spy drones may or may not have been in on the final manhunt for Osama bin Laden. But there's no question that the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles will figure heavily in the military's future. And unlike today's models, these new, heavily armed drones will be hard to spot – and largely fly themselves, with little human intervention.

Boeing announced Tuesday that its stealthy killer drone – the "Phantom Ray" – had flown for the first time. The flight, from Edwards Air Force Base, California, lasted just 17 minutes.

The drone only reached 7,500 feet in altitude. But if these tests proceed as planned, the 36,500-pound, 36-foot-long drone will soar up to 40,000 feet and dash at nearly the speed of sound.

Humans: You've been warned.

All photos: Boeing

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