IMAGE: USAF
On March 5, the XQ58-A Valkyrie unmanned fighter jet completed its first test flight at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, the US Air Force said in a statement and video released March 6. The test lasted 76 minutes.
“This joint effort falls within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) portfolio, which has the objective to break the escalating cost trajectory of tactically relevant aircraft,” the statement says. “The objectives of the LCAAT initiative include designing and building UAS faster by developing better design tools, and maturing and leveraging commercial manufacturing processes to reduce build time and cost.”
The XQ58-A Valkyrie reportedly travels at high subsonic speeds and took 2.5 years from contract award to develop. There will be a total of five tests, which focus on functionality, aerodynamic performance, as well as launch and recovery.
The XQ58-A Valkyrie is designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets and navigate autonomously. It hasan estimated unit cost of between $2 million and $3 million.
