SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 – The Marine Corps’ XQ-58A Valkyrie successfully completed its third test flight on Sept. 20, 2024, at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. This flight was conducted in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, and industry partners. The test demonstrated newly added Link-16 capabilities for the uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft prototype, marking the first time the Department of Defense controlled an air vehicle using offboard expeditionary methods.
Initial results indicate that the prototype met threshold requirements for autonomously exchanging relevant tactical information. These Link-16 capabilities significantly enhance the Marine Air-Ground Task Force’s ability to conduct integrated and joint operations, contributing to the Marine Corps’ mission to deter conflict and, when necessary, defeat enemies in complex and evolving scenarios.
This successful test was conducted in preparation for Emerald Flag 2024, a multiservice and multi-domain training exercise scheduled for October. The exercise will incorporate technology and focus on the efficiency of joint warfare. The XQ-58A has proven itself ready for this capstone event, allowing the Marine Corps to demonstrate cooperative kill chain closure between manned and unmanned strike platforms for the first time in a large-force exercise.
About the XQ-58A Valkyrie
The XQ-58A Valkyrie is the first example of a new class of high performance unmanned aircraft that can be rapidly built and used in large numbers, and will work in teams with manned aircraft. The XQ-58A on display flew the first flight tests for this aircraft type.
To respond to rising costs for manned fighters, the US Air Force directed the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop a high performance, low cost aircraft. Kratos UAS built the Valkyrie in partnership with AFRL.
Valkyrie did not use a runway. Instead, it launched with rocket assist from a launcher/transport trailer, and landed using parachutes and airbags to cushion its impact with the ground. The aircraft has an internal weapons bay for small munitions tested on later flights with other XQ-58A aircraft. The XQ-58A development took place under AFRL’s Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technologies initiative in 2019.
Technical Notes:
Speed: 652 mph
Range: 3,500 miles
Ceiling: 44,997 ft
Max weight: 6,000 lbs
Courtesy Story
Headquarters Marine Corps