This New Electronic Attack Drone Has Already Passed The Loyal Wingman Test With F-35s

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (Kratos) recently reached a big milestone by testing its XQ-58A Valkyrie drone alongside two F-35s at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. This test was to check out some new electronic attack systems, something they hadn’t tried before.

The specific type of XQ-58A they used in the test was called MQ-58B. This name suggests it’s not just for testing but might be used for real missions. The “M” means it can do lots of different things, and the “B” might mean it’s meant for electronic attacks.

This milestone marks the completion of the first part of a program called PAACK-P, run by the United States Marine Corps. The goal is to make affordable drones that can work together to find and attack targets without needing a lot of human control.

“The demonstration completes the first phase of the United States Marine Corps’ Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer Portfolio (PAACK-P) program. [The 40th Flight Test Squadron, 96th Test Wing, provided flight test support]. All flight test objectives were successfully met,” Kratos reports in its press release.

“The XQ-58A’s advanced EA payload autonomously detected, identified, and geolocated multiple tactically relevant targets of interest, transmitted emitter target track coordinates to collaborative assets, and successfully presented non-kinetic electronic attack effects against multiple emitters,” Kratos explained.

“The demonstration follows the award of a $22.9M ‘Phase 2? contract modification on December 4, 2023, for additional engineering development and flight test demonstrations,” Kratos’ release added.

Since October 2023, the Marine Corps has been using their XQ-58As for tests at Eglin Air Force Base. They’re the second group to use these drones, after the Air Force started testing them in 2019.

The XQ-58A Valkyrie has been flying since 2019. It can fly far and fast and doesn’t need a runway to take off or land. It’s flexible, meaning it can do different jobs and carry different weapons.

Kratos says the XQ-58A is cheap to use, hard to spot, and can do lots of different tasks for the military. They think it’s a great option for different parts of the Department of Defense.

Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Buick, who works on planning new military technology, believes drones like the XQ-58A will make current aircraft better at fighting. He thinks these drones are the future of air warfare.

“MUX TACAIR promises to increase the lethality and survivability of our current crewed platforms,” said Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Buick, Cunningham Group Capabilities, Research, and Integration Officer. “These platforms are the future of air warfare,” he added.