The Air Force Research Laboratory, Along with Partner Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., Completes the Successful Fourth Flight Test of the XQ-58A Valkyrie
January 25, 2020
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The Air Force Research Laboratory, along with partner Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., completed the successful fourth flight test of the XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost unmanned air vehicle demonstrator Jan. 23, 2020, at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. During the test event, the Valkyrie demonstrator's flight successfully met all of the test objectives, and the envelope was expanded beyond prior tests before safely landing in the Arizona dessert. According to AFRL XQ-58A Program Manager Michael Wipperman, flying at higher altitude allowed researchers to gather data in an operational environment more representative of real-world flight conditions. This test event represents a return-to-flight for the XQ-58A, which experienced a mishap upon landing after a successful 90-minute flight in October 2019. Following a Safety Investigation Board probe into the mishap, Wipperman says the resulting information was outbriefed to the convening authority, and the recommendations were taken and approved to ensure the success of this latest test. Developed as part of AFRL's Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology portfolio, the XQ-58A is designed to be a runway-independent, reusable unmanned air vehicle capable of a broad range of operational missions. The XQ-58A was developed through low cost procurement and is designed to be significantly less expensive to operate than traditional piloted or unpiloted vehicles, while capable of achieving the same critical missions. Taking only 2.5 years from contract award to first flight, it is the first example of a class of unmanned air vehicles developed through this time-saving process, which seeks to break the escalating cost trajectory of tactically relevant aircraft. A total of five flights are planned for the XQ-58A, with objectives that include evaluating system functionality, aerodynamic performance, and launch and recovery systems. The fifth flight, scheduled for later this year, will be a capability demonstration showcasing the ability of the vehicle to support operational needs.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. It operates through two segments: The Kratos Government Solutions (KGS) and Unmanned Systems (US). The KGS segment includes its microwave electronic products, space, satellite and cyber, training solutions, Command, Control, Communication, Computing, Combat, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR)/modular systems, turbine technologies, and defense and rocket support services operating segments. The US segment consists of its unmanned aerial, unmanned ground, unmanned seaborne and related command, control and communications system businesses. The KGS and US segments provide products, solutions and services for mission critical National Security programs. It serves customers, such as U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Space Command, and others.
The Air Force Research Laboratory, Along with Partner Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., Completes the Successful Fourth Flight Test of the XQ-58A Valkyrie