US Marine Corps Completes 3rd Test Flight Of Autonomous XQ-58A Valkyrie At Eglin Air Force Base
The Marine Corps' new uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft, the XQ-58A Valkyrie, has just successfully completed its third test flight at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida (the United States Air Force carried out the first test flight in 2019). The XQ-58A Valkyrie should not be confused with the more sophisticated General Atomics X-67 and Anduril Fury UAVs selected to move forward for the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Marines conduct third XQ-58A Valkyrie test
The new test of the experimental XQ-58A was conducted on September 20, 2024, and demonstrated the newly added Link-16 capabilities for the uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft prototype. This was the first time the DoD has controlled a UAV using offboard expeditionary methods. According to a Marine Corps statement, initial results indicate the test was successful with the vehicle meeting threshold requirements "for autonomously exchanging relevant tactical information."
"This successful test was conducted in preparation for Emerald Flag 2024, a multiservice and multi-domain training exercise scheduled for October. The exercise will incorporate technology and focus on the efficiency of joint warfare. The XQ-58A has proven itself ready for this capstone event, allowing the Marine Corps to demonstrate cooperative kill chain closure between manned and unmanned strike platforms for the first time in a large-force exercise." - US Marine Corps