The US Air Force Says Valkryie Drone Launches its Equipped Drone

The Air Force Research Laboratory on Monday announced that the Valkryie drone launched another drone during the recent test flight. The XQ-58A Valkyrie is a long-range unmanned aerial vehicle capable of high subsonic speeds. The Drone was made by Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology Program. ‘During its sixth flight on March 26, 2021, the aircraft launched the first payload vehicle from its internal weapons bay. The launchpad enlisted Area-I ALTIUS-600 was a small unmanned aerial system.

The Air Force’s prominent focus has been to look out for relatively inexpensive, expendable drones like Valkyrie. The Valkyrie aircraft act as potential artificial-intelligence-driven autonomous platforms that could support manned aerial systems. The service officials quoted, “enable the Air Force to operate and sustain low-cost, teamed aircraft that can thwart adversaries with quick, decisive actions in contested environments.”

The Air Force Skyborg’s project, which has been utilized for fielding autonomous manned systems is inducing more templates than what has been the case previously. The recent test was not only the first time that the payload doors got opened. The recent test followed the Valkyrie drone’s fifth flight test in December, which involved the aircraft flying alongside Air Force F-22 and F-35A fighters and a Marine Corps F-35B.

The rocket launched Valkyrie drone conducted a semi-autonomous flight. Besides that, it was carrying a GatewayONE payload built which assisted the fifth-generation aircraft to communicate. The hindrance induced its way in the communication when the connection broke out shortly after the aircraft took off. Despite the connectivity problems, the aircraft was able to overcome the shrewdness and also the digital security barriers to allow the F-22’s Intra-Flight Data Link and F-35’s Multifunctional Advanced Data Link to transmit data.