This is essentially an unmanned jet aircraft. It recently successfully managed a catapult-assisted takeoff from a carrier.
Now it has completed the other end of the deal, an arrested landing. (i.e. it had to catch its tailhook on one of the arresting wires, execute a proper glide path descent onto a moving platform, etc.)
Anyone who's been involved in carrier operations will tell you that landing a jet on the deck is non-trivial even with experience. The fact that an aircraft can do this autonomously is quite impressive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gGMI8d3vLs
But it is just a matter of time before that type of landing is part of the historical archive.
It's a drone which is at mini-scale to the actual aircraft you may be referring to.
Yes. We have stealth bomber looking drones at 1/3 scale to the actual thing.
And to your original point, this is obviously not a first, drones have been taking off and landing from aircraft carriers for years.
Why the washington post is reporting this now is a better question. They are clearly out of the loop.
Fixed wing? Such as?