The XQ-58A has been in development for the last two years and boasts a top speed of 652 mph (1,050 km/h), a 2,449 mi (3,941 km) range and the ability to carry a complement of eight weapons.
During its 76-minute flight over the Yuma Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona, the Valkyrie demonstrated its maneuverability, acceleration, and speed potential to the military, personally anxious to reduce the cost of aircraft development and procurement.
While Predator and Reaper drones have slowly and steadily patrolled skies for the past 25 years, the USAF is interested in developing a cheap,fast-moving fleet of drones that can escort and complement its F-22 and F-35 fighters in future sorties.
Under the guise of the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology(LCAAT) program, the USAF’s Research Lab is looking to rapidly develop low-cost, low-maintenance aircraft by developing better design tools and methods of manufacturing that will reduce aircraft production time and aircraft cost.
While the Valkyrie is the first craft to come through the LCAAT program, it likely won’t be the last. Drones are becoming a vital tool in the USAF’s arsenal, and bending the cost curve for aircraft procurement will be vital to sustaining air dominance in future battles.