US Air Force XQ-58A Valkyrie completes AI-powered test flight
The XQ-58A Valkyrie is a high-altitude, long-endurance, runway-independent, high-subsonic 'Loyal Wingman' UAS. (Photo: US Air Force/US DoD)
Developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Valkyrie's AI and machine learning agents demonstrated their capability to solve tactically relevant challenges during airborne operations.
The XQ-58A Valkyrie drone recently completed a successful test flight using AI algorithms, the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced on 2 August.
The milestone test took place at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and lasted approximately three hours. The AI algorithms used in the UAS were trained millions of times in simulated environments before being put to physical test.
The Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO) programme team at AFRL was responsible for developing the algorithms utilized in this test. The flight was carried out within the Eglin Test and Training Complex, a collection of offshore training ranges
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Following the completion of successful ground tests, one more exercise remains before flight testing can begin.
