XQ-58A Valkyrie completes first flight
The US Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie UAV demonstrator completed its first flight on 5 March at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) partnered with Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems to develop the XQ-58A, a long-range, high subsonic UAV.
According to the air force, the test flight lasted for 76 minutes and the runway independent UAV performed as expected. The XQ-58A has a total of five planned test flights in two phases to evaluate the system’s functionality, aerodynamic performance and launch and recovery systems.
This joint effort falls within the AFRL’s Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) portfolio. The objectives of the LCAAT include designing and building UAS more quickly by developing better design tools and maturing and leveraging commercial manufacturing processes to reduce build time and cost.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Dedrone supplies CUAS systems to Ukraine and increases signal library
Dedrone has announced a strategic expansion via 16 new governmental contracts as the US-based CUAS company continued to develop its drone countermeasure technologies.
-
Baykar’s Akıncı UCAV completes live firing trials over the Black Sea
The Turkish company’s advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicle demonstrated its capabilities during successful live firing trials.
-
Iranian UAV threat leaves Israel’s defence industry searching for answers
Iran has continued to invest heavily in its drone-building capacity, supplying Russia and Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East, leading defence experts in Israel to call for more defensive solutions be developed to deter the threat from UAVs.
-
Emgepron and Tidewise team up to develop first ‘made-in-Brazil’ USV
Brazil's Emgepron and Tidewise have partnered to construct the Suppressor unmanned surface vessel by 2025 amid potential interest from the Brazilian Navy.
-
Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific
The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.