The U.S. Air Force last week performed the first test flight of its new stealth fighter drone, the XQ-58A Valkyrie. The Valkyrie lifted off at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona on March 5 and was in the air for 76 minutes. However the Air Force is often secretive about its promising technology, it loosened the reins a bit sharing a brief 15-second clip showcasing this milestone maiden flight.
 
The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator is a long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle with a range over 2,000 miles and flight speeds up to 652 miles per hour. It can take off from a runway like a plane or launch into the air via a rocket. It was designed to fly along with a piloted aircraft and supply mission support as part of the Air Force’s idea “Loyal Wingman” program. Theoretically, the UAV can support in surveillance, participate in virtual warfare and even fire upon an enemy target if needed. In the future, the military could equip these loyal wingman drones with artificial intelligence, sensitive surveillance equipment, and advanced weaponry. Soldiers could stay out of harm’s way by using these high-tech UAVs to fly high-risk missions into enemy territory.
 
The Air Force Research Laboratory contracted with San Diego-based Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems to develop the Valkyrie long-range unmanned aerial vehicle. The project falls under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) initiative which is targeted on developing faster and cheaper tactical aircraft. The XQ-58A drone took 2.5 years to progress from contract award to first test flight and costs an estimated $2-3 million per drone to build. This price tag puts each drone on a par with a single Patriot missile and is dramatically less expensive than the average fighter jet which costs upward of $100 million per aircraft.
 
Last week’s maiden voyage was the first, but not the final test flight for the stealth combat drone. The Air Force plans to perform a total of five test flights in two separate steps. Future test flights will analyze system functionality and gauge aerodynamic performance as well as refine both the launch and recovery systems. Kratos isn’t the only defense company working on combat UAVs. Boeing Australia recently announced plans to make an A.I.-equipped fighter drone that can serve as a “loyal wingman” for piloted fighter jets.



This article is originally posted on Tronserve.com