Military drones are technological beasts, and the list of things they can’t do is extremely short. It got even shorter at the end of March when one of these drones managed to drop a smaller one from inside the weapons bay.
The winged machine that managed this feat is called XQ-58A Valkyrie and it is being developed by Kratos. Still in the works, it should come out the other end of the development process as a stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) capable of striking far and undetected into enemy territory.
The drone's first flight took place in 2019, but already Kratos and the Air Force Research Laboratory conducted six missions to test the thing. The last one, which took place earlier this year, was when Valkyrie dropped another drone from its belly.
That smaller drone is an Altius 600, generally a tube-launched unmanned aircraft system (SUAS). It can also be used as air-launched effects, which is a fancy way of saying drones that can be dropped from other aircraft.
The test was meant to prove an uncrewed aircraft could carry and launch such devices, and to validate Valkyrie’s internal weapons release system. Both objectives were met, apparently.
“This is the sixth flight of the Valkyrie and the first time the payload bay doors have been opened in flight,” said in a statement Alyson Turri, demonstration program manager. “In addition to this first SUAS separation demonstration, the XQ-58A flew higher and faster than previous flights.”
Valkyrie can fly at speeds of 652 mph (1,050 kph) for a range of 2,449 miles (3,941 km) and can carry Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and small diameter bombs. It is designed to fly in support of F-22 and F-35 planes, effectively being a wingman the likes of which Boeing is currently developing.
Kratos’ work on the drone is backed by a $37.7 million contract, but no exact date when it should be ready is known.
The drone's first flight took place in 2019, but already Kratos and the Air Force Research Laboratory conducted six missions to test the thing. The last one, which took place earlier this year, was when Valkyrie dropped another drone from its belly.
That smaller drone is an Altius 600, generally a tube-launched unmanned aircraft system (SUAS). It can also be used as air-launched effects, which is a fancy way of saying drones that can be dropped from other aircraft.
The test was meant to prove an uncrewed aircraft could carry and launch such devices, and to validate Valkyrie’s internal weapons release system. Both objectives were met, apparently.
“This is the sixth flight of the Valkyrie and the first time the payload bay doors have been opened in flight,” said in a statement Alyson Turri, demonstration program manager. “In addition to this first SUAS separation demonstration, the XQ-58A flew higher and faster than previous flights.”
Valkyrie can fly at speeds of 652 mph (1,050 kph) for a range of 2,449 miles (3,941 km) and can carry Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and small diameter bombs. It is designed to fly in support of F-22 and F-35 planes, effectively being a wingman the likes of which Boeing is currently developing.
Kratos’ work on the drone is backed by a $37.7 million contract, but no exact date when it should be ready is known.