Florida, July 24 - In a landmark advancement for modern aerial warfare, the United States Air Force conducted a groundbreaking test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where pilots operating F-16C Fighting Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets successfully controlled multiple XQ-58A Valkyrie drones in simulated air combat scenarios. This exercise, executed over the Gulf of Mexico, represents a significant milestone in integrating manned and unmanned systems, showcasing the Air Force’s commitment to evolving its combat strategies to meet the demands of increasingly complex and contested battlespaces. The test involved each fighter jet pilot managing two XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicles, demonstrating real-time coordination between human operators and semi-autonomous platforms in a high-fidelity air combat training environment. This achievement underscores the Air Force’s vision of human-machine teaming, where autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs) enhance operational flexibility, reduce pilot workload, and improve mission effectiveness.
.gif)
The XQ-58A Valkyrie, developed by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) initiative, is a high-speed, long-range, runway-independent unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). Designed to be cost-effective, with a price tag ranging from $2 million to $6.5 million per unit, the Valkyrie is considered an “attritable” asset—affordable enough to be expendable in high-threat environments yet reusable for multiple missions. Its stealth-optimized fuselage, V-tail design, and internal payload bay enable it to carry up to 1,200 pounds of ordnance, including precision-guided munitions like the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, as well as electronic warfare systems and advanced sensors. Launched from a ground-based rail system and recovered via parachute, the Valkyrie offers operational flexibility, allowing deployment from austere or forward locations without the need for conventional runways. This capability makes it a versatile platform for missions such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare, strike operations, and acting as a decoy or communications relay.
The test at Eglin Air Force Base highlighted the Valkyrie’s role as a “loyal wingman,” where it operates under the command of manned aircraft to perform high-risk tasks, thereby reducing the exposure of human pilots to danger. The F-16C and F-15E, both legacy platforms with decades of service, demonstrated their adaptability by serving as command nodes in a networked battlefield. Pilots directed the Valkyries to execute maneuvers in a simulated air-to-air combat scenario, potentially involving reconnaissance, target identification, and simulated engagements with virtual adversaries. While specific details of the test remain classified, the successful integration of multiple drones with each fighter jet marks a critical step toward operationalizing autonomous systems. The Valkyrie’s ability to operate in GPS-denied environments and its modular payload bay, which supports rapid integration of new technologies, further enhances its utility in contested airspace.
This exercise, supported by the Pentagon’s Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve and involving collaboration with the Air Force Materiel Command, Air Combat Command, and the U.S. Navy, aligns with the Air Force’s broader strategy to counter evolving threats, such as integrated air defense systems and electronic warfare capabilities. The Air Force aims to project air power with greater mass, complexity, and survivability by pairing affordable, semi-autonomous drones with manned fighters. The data collected from this test will inform the development of future autonomous platforms, including those under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which envisions pairing drones with next-generation fighters like the F-35 and the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform. As the Air Force continues to modernize, the successful control of XQ-58A Valkyrie drones by F-16C and F-15E pilots signals a transformative shift toward a more distributed and networked approach to air combat, paving the way for enhanced combat effectiveness and reduced risk to aircrews in future operations.