| XQ-58 Valkyrie | |
|---|---|
 The XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator on its inaugural flight, 5 March 2019 atYuma Proving Ground, Arizona | |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Kratos Defense & Security Solutions |
| Status | In development |
| Primary users | United States Air Force |
| History | |
| First flight | 5 March 2019 |
TheKratos XQ-58 Valkyrie is an experimentalstealthunmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed and built byKratos Defense & Security Solutions for theUnited States Air Force's Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) program, under theUSAF Research Laboratory's Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) project portfolio. It was initially designated theXQ-222. The Valkyrie completed its first flight on 5 March 2019 atYuma Proving Ground, Arizona.[1]
The XQ-58 Valkyrie fell within theUSAF Research Laboratory's Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) portfolio, whose objectives included designing and buildingunmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) faster, by developing better design tools and maturing and using commercial manufacturing processes to reduce production time and cost.[1] The LCAAT was to escort theF-22 orF-35 during combat missions and to deploy weapons or surveillance systems.[2][3] The LCAAT was eventually turned into the Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program, which Kratos was awarded a contract for in 2021 but lost out toGeneral Atomics in 2023, which developed theXQ-67A.[4][5] The USAF determined the XQ-58 airframe was too small to meet the requirements of theCollaborative combat aircraft program.[6]
The XQ-58 is designed to act as aloyal wingman that is controlled by a parent aircraft to accomplish tasks such as scouting, defensive fire, or absorbing enemy fire.[7] It features stealth technology with a trapezoidalfuselage with achined edge,V-tail, and anS-shaped air intake.[3] The XQ-58 can operate as part of a swarm of drones, with or without direct pilot control. There are three variants of XQ-58A -- one designed for rocket boosted launch from a rail system, one designed for trolley launch and parachute landing, and one with landing gear that is capable of conventional take-offs and landings but sacrifices payload capacity from four to two GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs.[8] All three versions can be launched from "nondescript launch modules", such assupport ships,shipping containers, andsemi-trailer trucks.[8][9][10]
Kratos officials have said the company could produce 250 to 500 Valkyries per year.[11] It can be produced at a unit cost of $4 million at an annual production rate of 50 aircraft, and possibly for less than $2 million if over 100 airframes are built per year.[12]
In April 2025, Kratos officials stated that “...we’re pretty close to having a couple final versions of the aircraft” for the Marine Corps, which had been testing it extensively as part of the PAACK-P (Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer Program).[8] At least two mission configurations of the system were announced to exist in a production status at Kratos' Oklahoma facilities, with Kratos indicating readiness to accept a more substantial production order.[8] At least five XQ-58 variants are in development, and it is unclear which variants were in production, though defense analysts speculated that one would be optimized for electronic attack and the other for kinetic strikes.[8]
In July 2025,Airbus announced a partnership with Kratos to develop anuncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA) based on the XQ-58A for theGerman Air Force.[13] The UCCA will feature an Airbus-made mission system and is expected to be combat-ready by 2029.[13] The programme forms part of a broaderBundeswehr procurement initiative to introduce a stealthy, subsonic, deep-strike drone capable of ranges exceeding 540 nmi (621 mi, 1,000km) by 2029.[14]
The XQ-58's first flight took place on 5 March 2019, about two and a half years after Kratos received the contract. Five test flights were planned in two phases to evaluate system functionality, aerodynamic performance, and launch and recovery systems.[1]
On 23 July 2020, the Air Force gave contracts to Kratos,Boeing,Northrop Grumman, andGeneral Atomics to compete for theSkyborg program, an effort to field an unmanned wingman for manned fighters, at a price that makes it somewhat expendable.[15][16][17][18] Northrop was eliminated in December 2020. Kratos, Boeing, and General Atomics delivered their entries by May 2021 for flight tests in July 2021.[19][20]
In March 2021, the XQ-58A completed its sixth test flight, opening the doors of its internal weapons bay for the first time and releasing a 27 lb (12 kg) Area-I Altius-600 smallunmanned aircraft system (UAS).[21][22][23]
In August 2023, a report with pictures[24] showed the XQ-58A in formation with anF-15E Strike Eagle from the96th Test Wing’s40th Flight Test Squadron atEglin Air Force Base,Florida.
In December 2022, theUnited States Marine Corps ordered two XQ-58s for testing under the Marine Corps Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program, and conducted first test flights at Eglin Air Force Base in October 2023. In January 2023, theUnited States Navy ordered two XQ-58s for tests similar to those being undertaken by the Marines.[25]
On 2 April 2024, Kratos made a press release concerning an XQ-58 test with electronic warfare equipment, where it also mentioned the MQ-58B model.[26][27] The MQ-58B, which is intended to fulfill the role ofsuppression of enemy air defenses, or SEAD, is one of at least five variants of the XQ-58 under development by Kratos. This news comes alongside an announcement that the future variants of the Valkyrie will include underwing hardpoints for munitions, where a rendering of an XQ-58 was shown with two underwing hardpoints, each carrying anAIM-120 AMRAAM.[28]
Data from Kratos Defense Data sheet[29][30]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
