After the Air Force began regular flights of the Valkyrie drones in November from Eglin Air Force Base, the US Navy signed a contract with Kratos to purchase two XQ-58A Valkyries for $15 million.
According to the Department of Defense’s announcement, UAVs need “sensor and weapon system payloads to accomplish the penetrating affordable autonomous collaborative killer” mission.
The United States Navy is working on its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which will consist of a group of manned and unmanned systems, with the F/A-XX manned fighter serving as the program’s center. The Navy intends to use the systems in what it calls a “manned-unmanned teaming” (MUM-T) tactic.
Kratos has made a version of the drone that fits inside a regular shipping container, allowing it to be deployed from ships as well as on land.
