XQ-58A Valkyrie: What Kratos Publishes About Its Combat Drone
The XQ-58A Valkyrie is an uncrewed tactical aircraft built to fly alongside crewed fighters without depending on runways. Flying since 2019, the airframe demonstrates how autonomous systems can operate from austere sites while carrying both kinetic weapons and electronic warfare payloads.
What the XQ-58A Valkyrie Is and What It Flies For
The XQ-58A Valkyrie is a runway-independent Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) designed by Kratos Defense to operate directly alongside Joint and Allied Forces inside the wider collaborative combat aircraft effort. First flying in 2019, the airframe is a clean-sheet tactical design built to fly alongside crewed fighter jets rather than to be recovered on a runway.
On its published specifications, the aircraft travels more than 3,000 nautical miles (approximately 5,666 kilometers), reaches maximum speeds of 0.86 Mach, and operates at altitudes up to 45,000 feet (approximately 13,716 meters). Kratos describes the XQ-58A as a stealthy combat unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of long-range flights at high-subsonic speeds.
The Valkyrie is in production today at Kratos's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility.
| Performance Metric | Published Specification | Metric Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Range | More than 3,000 nautical miles | Approximately 5,666 km |
| Maximum Speed | 0.86 Mach | High-subsonic |
| Operational Altitude | Up to 45,000 feet | Approximately 13,716 m |
| Launch Profile | Runway-independent zero-length or rocket-assisted | Austere or improved runway capable |
Runway Independence and Austere Basing Strategy
Runway independence is the design choice that defines the XQ-58A Valkyrie. The Valkyrie supports operations spanning from fully runway-independent launches to both austere strips and improved runway locations. The Valkyrie has launched from a zero-length launcher in the USMC demonstration and with rocket assistance on the first European flight.
Kratos identifies the ability to pre-deploy and operate the aircraft remotely without requiring traditional airfield infrastructure as a critical deterrence capability against near-peer adversaries.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming Across Fighter Fleets
Kratos describes the Valkyrie as a proven system in production today that has flown teamed alongside crewed combat aircraft. Kratos confirms the Valkyrie has flown alongside and teamed with F-35s, F-22s, F-15EXs, and F-18s operated by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Kratos calls the Valkyrie a key technology for autonomous electronic support of crewed platforms.
Using autonomy and artificial intelligence, the Valkyrie can operate independently or integrate into manned-unmanned teaming operations.
Kinetic and Non-Kinetic Weapons Delivery
An internal bomb bay plus wing stations let one Valkyrie carry lethal weapons and non-kinetic effectors on the same sortie, so a single airframe can strike and jam without a second aircraft. Kratos swaps the mission kit rather than the airframe.
That contrasts with large, runway-dependent, non-attritable ISR aircraft such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
Attritable Design Lineage and Published Cost Limits
Kratos publishes no unit price for the XQ-58A Valkyrie. It states only that the Valkyrie falls well within the attritable cost class. Readers should not rely on third-party estimates or unverified figures, and can review official capabilities on the Kratos XQ-58A product page.
The Valkyrie achieves its low production cost by borrowing design and manufacturing techniques directly from Kratos's high-performance jet target drone lines.
Kratos also leaves several physical airframe specifications unpublished. Kratos does not list wingspan, fuselage length, empty or maximum gross weight, payload weight limits, engine model, or thrust ratings. Operational endurance hours are likewise omitted from the spec sheet, leaving the 3,000-plus nautical mile range, 0.86 Mach speed, and 45,000-foot ceiling as the only verified flight metrics.
How the two companies' uncrewed programs line up on cost and capability is weighed in the Anduril vs Kratos comparison.
Marine Corps Flight Demonstrations and Datalink Validation
A missionized U.S. Marine Corps Valkyrie demonstrated electronic warfare capabilities and a beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) command and control (C2) datalink during flight testing in southern California in April 2026.
The missionized Valkyrie launched from a zero-length launcher to begin the trial. During the flight, the aircraft validated and characterised its BLOS system before transitioning control authority from the Kratos ground control station to an external human-machine interface. This interface, developed by Autonodyne, LLC, complied with the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) and allowed a Marine Corps operator to command the vehicle directly over BLOS connections.
Flying alongside multiple USMC F-35s and an F/A-18, the Valkyrie achieved its coordinated electronic warfare test objectives throughout the operational run. It then returned autonomously to the recovery point. The Expeditionary Maritime Aviation-Advanced Development Team (XMA-ADT) led the Integrated Test Team, with USMC and Navy test squadrons, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Autonodyne, LLC supporting.
Airbus Partnership and the European Flight Program
Kratos and Airbus expanded the Valkyrie into the European defense sector by completing the first flight of the U740-Valkyrie in Northern Europe. The Kratos and Airbus test announcement published on October 12, 2026 says the flight achieved all its objectives:
Airbus and Kratos confirmed that the milestone keeps them on track to deliver a combat-ready uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2029 to address operational requirements for the German and other European armed forces. The initiative is an industrial partnership rather than a procurement contract. Neither Germany nor any other European military has signed a formal production purchase order, and no contract delivery quantities have been published.
The flight test clears a path for future trials incorporating Airbus's Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system. Functioning as the aircraft's European brain, MARS grants European operators sovereign control over software, mission applications, system hardware, and operational data. MARS employs AI-enhanced software to execute autonomous tasks and direct multi-aircraft groups.
A strict control hierarchy keeps a human on the loop, so decisions follow the rules of engagement and ethical standards.
- a runway-independent rocket-assisted take-off
- maneuvers across different altitudes
- in-flight mission adjustments
- flight speeds up to Mach 0.8
Oklahoma City Manufacturing Base and Program Origins
The airframe traces its operational lineage to the Low-Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator program, where Kratos originally showcased the stealthy combat concept to the U.S. Air Force. From those early demonstrator flights, the design matured into an active production aircraft. Production lines operate at Kratos's Oklahoma City manufacturing facility, providing dedicated manufacturing infrastructure for the tactical UAS family.
To support growing military demand, Kratos announced a major expansion of its Oklahoma City manufacturing campus on July 6, 2026. The Kratos facility expansion announcement confirmed the addition of over 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space, with the release subheading specifying a 106,000-square-foot expansion. This physical footprint accelerates output across Kratos's family of jet drone systems, including the Valkyrie and the Firejet/Mighty Hornet IV.
Kratos currently builds approximately 165 high-performance jet drones annually across its product lines. The expanded factory space enables higher delivery volume to satisfy growing requirements from the U.S. Department of War and international allied customers.
Drones and UAS FAQs
What are the XQ-58A Valkyrie's specs?
Kratos publishes three primary performance metrics for the XQ-58A: a range exceeding 3,000 nautical miles (approximately 5,666 km), a maximum speed of 0.86 Mach, and an operational altitude ceiling of up to 45,000 feet. Kratos describes the aircraft as a stealthy, runway-independent collaborative combat aircraft that takes off using zero-length or rocket-assisted launchers. Specific dimensions, weights, and engine models are not publicly published by Kratos.
How much does the XQ-58A Valkyrie cost?
Kratos does not publish a unit price or total program cost figure for the XQ-58A Valkyrie. Kratos states only that the airframe falls well within the attritable cost class, using the manufacturing methods from its jet target drone lines.
Does the XQ-58A Valkyrie need a runway?
No, the XQ-58A Valkyrie is designed to be runway-independent. It launches from zero-length launchers or using rocket assistance, allowing it to operate from pre-deployed, austere, or remote locations without traditional airfield infrastructure. It can also operate from austere and improved runway locations when available.
Has the Valkyrie flown with the Marines?
Yes, a missionized U.S. Marine Corps Valkyrie completed flight demonstrations in southern California in April 2026, which Kratos announced in August 2026. The aircraft launched from a zero-length launcher, validated beyond-line-of-sight command links with a Marine operator via an Autonodyne interface, flew with Marine F-35s and an F/A-18, and met coordinated electronic warfare objectives.
Is Airbus building a Valkyrie?
Airbus has partnered with Kratos to develop the U740-Valkyrie, completing a first European test flight in October 2026. The flight reached speeds up to Mach 0.8 using a rocket-assisted runway-independent launch. The partnership aims to deliver a combat-ready platform by 2029 addressing European requirements, integrating Airbus's sovereign MARS mission system, though no European country has placed a formal production order.