Experienced UAV Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie (USA)
According to the Air Force Laboratory laboratory (AFRL), the development of the Kratos XQ-58A project lasted about two and a half years and was carried out as part of a larger program to create a UAV with a low cost LCAAT (Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology). The works started after the conclusion of the relevant contract in July 2016. About a year later, Kratos announced for the first time the basic data on its project.
The first published image of the XQ-222 UAV
The product with the working title XQ-222 Valkyrie was supposed to be a subsonic subtle aircraft with the ability to carry various payloads. Already at that time, the issues of joint operation of the UAV and manned aircraft in one link to solve common problems were considered. The estimated flight range was to exceed 3 thousand nautical miles (more than 5550 km).
In January 2018, Kratos confirmed the continuation of the work, and also announced its plans for the near future. It was argued that the first prototype of the Valkyrie would be built and tested before the end of the year. In November, it became known that the UAV had changed its designation. The old index XQ-222 was replaced with a new one - XQ-58A. The Valkyrie product is now featured in the news only under the second designation.
March 6 Air Force Laboratory officially announced the first test flight of the XQ-58A UAV. The flight took place on 5 March at the Yuma test site (Arizona). The product was airborne for 76 minutes and showed expected performance. The current flight test plan provides for four more flights. At the moment, the task of the company Kratos and AFRL is to determine the real flight performance, as well as the development of control systems and other structural elements.
AFRL posted a short video showing the new drone in flight. During the filming of these shots, the drone was doing a right turn with a roll. Other flight modes or maneuvers were not shown. Also, the developers have published photos of the prototype. They can be compared with older advertising images and determine how the project has developed in recent years.
Deadlines for the completion of flight tests are not specified. It may take several months or several years to carry out all the necessary test flights and the accompanying refinement of the structure. Then, probably, the XQ-58A UAV will be further developed, after which the military will have to resolve the issue of its need for troops. Thus, the future of the Valkyrie product is still unclear, but some expected events are already known.
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According to the technical task, the XQ-58A should be a subtle subsonic aircraft, and this determined the main features of its appearance. "Valkyrie" has a distinctive appearance, showing the use of stealth technology and airframe optimization for flights with a high subsonic speed. In this case, as can be judged by the individual elements of the structure, stealth was worked out with an eye to overcoming the ground elements of air defense.
Since the XQ-58A project was developed under the LCAAT program, its creators were required to simplify the design, production and operation. Due to the widespread use of existing technologies and already proven solutions, it was also necessary to reduce the cost of equipment. It is argued that such problems have been successfully solved.
The XQ-58A has a fuselage of characteristic shape, formed by several curved surfaces, with clearly defined edges on the sides. On top of it is placed an air intake, covered from the radar from below. The tail end of the machine is framed in the form of a nozzle with a flat bottom edge that acts as a kind of screen. The fuselage skin is assembled from panels of different shapes. On it, apparently, there are hatches for various purposes. The layout of the internal volumes is unclear, although it is obvious that a turbojet engine is located in the tail section.
The glider is equipped with a middle-wing swept wing. The plane has a slight narrowing and is equipped with, at a minimum, ailerons. The tail plumage is built in a V-shaped pattern and is made in the form of two swept planes mounted on the sides of the nozzle with a collapse outward. Two rudders of such plumage are responsible for the pitch and yaw control.
Of particular interest in the XQ-58A project is the onboard electronic equipment. First of all, the drone must have a remote control system and autopilot - the usual instruments for this technique. Opto-electronic or radar surveillance devices should also be used. In the future, the Valkyrie product is proposed to be used in conjunction with combat aircraft, which places special demands on its equipment.
It is expected that the XQ-58A, along with some other promising UAVs in the future will be able to interact with tactical aircraft aviation last generations. They will become guided by manned fighters or bombers. It is proposed that the UAV be assigned to conduct reconnaissance with the transfer of data to the leader. In addition, drones will be able to carry various weapons and use them on command from a control aircraft. The presence of unmanned aerial vehicles with their own monitoring devices and weapons can significantly increase the potential of front-line aviation.
In connection with the need to ensure stealth, internal compartments for armament are used. Each of them is equipped with four suspension points with a load capacity of 250 kg each. There is information about the possibility of using external suspension points under the wing. It is assumed that the “Valkyrie” will be armed with guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles of various types, having permissible dimensions and mass. Whether the new UAV will be able to deal with air targets is unknown.
In its current form, the XQ-58A has a length of 9,1 m and a wing span of 8,2 m. Take-off weight is unknown. The payload is up to 2 t. Estimated maximum speed is 1050 km / h. Range is determined at the level of 3500-4000 km. Practical ceiling - 13,7 km.
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A few days ago, the Kratos XQ-58A UAV Valkyrie made its first flight. In the near future, several more test flights are expected, during which they will check the main features and characteristics of the machine. The current flight tests include five flights divided into two phases. Despite the short duration of inspections, Kratos and AFRL plan to establish all the necessary parameters and qualities of the new machine.
Further analysis of the test results is expected, after which some conclusions will follow. In the absence of serious problems at the testing stage, it can be expected that the development companies will be charged with continuing the development of the existing project, taking into account the future combat use of equipment. The platform in the form of UAV "Valkyrie" will have to be equipped with various equipment necessary for interaction with manned aircraft and the use of weapons.
The result of the LCAAT program, under which the current XQ-58A is being created, could be the emergence of a radically new tactic for the use of front-line aviation. The main tasks of air defense breakthroughs and the destruction of ground objects (the struggle for air superiority is also possible) will be performed by a mixed link, including a fourth or fifth generation manned fighter-bomber and a number of UAVs.
In such a link, UAVs will be able to assume the roles of intelligence officers and carriers of weapons. The manned aircraft, in turn, will become a kind of command center with the ability to monitor the situation and the use of weapons. It is expected that such a complex will provide advantages over modern methods of using aviation.
When using LCAAT type UAVs, the risks for a manned aircraft are significantly reduced. It can be at a safe distance from the enemy’s air defense objects and can accomplish the combat mission with the help of UAVs. The use of stealth technology will reduce the likelihood of detection and interception of UAVs, and in case of successful operation of the enemy’s air defense, it is planned to reduce the cost of the vehicle. In other words, the pilot will not risk his plane, and the loss of the UAV will not cause much damage to the fleet of equipment and the military budget.
At the level of general ideas, the LCAAT program looks interesting and promising, but the original concept is still far from complete implementation. A promising UAV, designed to complement manned tactical aircraft, has only recently completed its first flight and will have to continue testing. Developers face special design challenges. Some of them managed to be successfully solved, which made it possible to raise an experimental car into the air. Now Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems and AFRL must complete the following work steps.
The Kraso XQ-58A Valkyrie, an experienced first flight of the UAV, is a major event in stories LCAAT program, and in the future it may be that it is a landmark for the entire US unmanned program. However, for the time being, this project should not be overestimated, taking into account only the proposed concept and the expected results. In the near future, new progress reports on LCAAT and XQ-58A should appear, which will make more accurate predictions.
On the materials of the sites:
https://afresearchlab.com/
http://kratosdefense.com/
http://thedrive.com/
https://unmannedsystemstechnology.com/
https://bmpd.livejournal.com/
- Ryabov Kirill
- Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems / kratosdefense.com, AFRL / afresearchlab.com
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