The U.S. Marine Corps conducted its first test flight of the XQ-58A “Valkyrie” unmanned aerial vehicle.

2025-08-12

The U.S. Marine Corps conducted its first test flight of the XQ-58A “Valkyrie” unmanned aerial vehicle

The U.S. Marine Corps ordered two XQ-58A drones in December 2022; the first aircraft was delivered in March 2023 to conduct prototype testing and platform integration work in accordance with the agile, expeditionary, and lethality requirements outlined by the “Cost-Effective Penetrating Autonomous Kill” (PAACK) program; In October 2023, the service completed the first test flight of the XQ-58A “Valkyrie” low-cost autonomous drone at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, achieving the expected results, though no further details about the test flight outcomes were disclosed. The data collected from the first flight provided information support for the Marine Corps' future requirements, and the XQ-58A UAV demonstrated its agile combat capabilities. In accordance with the requirements of the “Economically Penetrating Autonomous Collaborative Kill” project, the XQ-58A UAV is scheduled to conduct six test flights, with this being the first.

In the future, the U.S. Marine Corps will collaborate with units such as the Naval Air Systems Command's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to advance the subsequent research, development, testing, and evaluation of the XQ-58A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This collaboration aims to further test the XQ-58A's capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, artificial intelligence-enhanced air combat, and manned-unmanned collaborative operations, preparing the Marine Corps for future operational missions. The XQ-58A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) possesses a high degree of autonomy, capable of utilizing artificial intelligence technology to control flight operations, thereby significantly reducing the workload of operators.

VTOL Drones

Agricultural Drone

Multirotor Drone

Tethered UAV Systems

Drone Gimbal Camera

Brushless Drone Motor

Drone Propellers

Drone Battery Charger

Drone Data Link System

Drone Electronic Speed Controller

The U.S. Marine Corps conducted its first test flight of the XQ-58A “Valkyrie” unmanned aerial vehicle.

The U.S. Marine Corps conducted its first test flight of the XQ-58A “Valkyrie” unmanned aerial vehicle.