US Air Force completes XQ-58A Valkyrie's first payload release test
08 April 2021
by Pat Host
The US Air Force (USAF) on 26 March completed the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie’s first release from its internal weapons bay, and its sixth flight test.
This test at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, conducted in partnership with Kratos and Area-I, demonstrated the ability to launch an Altius-600 small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) from the XQ-58A’s internal weapons bay, according to a service statement. Kratos, Area-I, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) designed and fabricated the sUAS carriage and developed software to enable release. After the release of the sUAS, the XQ-58A completed additional test points to expand its demonstrated operating envelope.