VECTORDEFENCE DRONE
INTELLIGENCE
INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE
THE EVOLVING FIELD GUIDE
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DEFENCE DRONES / THE LIBRARY

Compare the evidence.

Choose up to three systems. Specifications retain their source and configuration; missing information is left undisclosed.

XQ-58A Valkyrie

A jet-powered collaborative aircraft used to explore autonomy, mission payloads and integration with crewed aviation. The programme also examines alternatives to conventional airfield dependence.

Country / region
United States
Programme status
Development / trials
Sources reviewed
20 Sept 2026
Development / trialsDevelopment / trials
Primary domain
Air
System type
Collaborative aircraft
Developer / manufacturer
Kratos
Origin / production countries
United States
Other names
Valkyrie
Variants / configurations
XQ-58A test aircraft; Customer-specific collaborative configurations
Operators / programme customers
US Air Force and US Marine Corps test programmes

Evidence & current status

Public demonstrations or flight tests establish development activity, not full operational service. Advertised performance is not a complete independent test result.

Role & capabilities

  • Collaborative flight
  • Mission autonomy experiments
  • Flexible payload integration
  • Runway-independent configurations

Specifications in context

Airframe
Jet-powered collaborative demonstrator family

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Launch / recovery
Runway-independent and runway-flexible configurations advertised

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Propulsion
Jet propulsion

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Dimensions
Not established from the reviewed sources.

Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases.

Source ↗
Mass
Not established from the reviewed sources.

Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases.

Source ↗
Endurance
Not established from the reviewed sources.

Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases.

Source ↗
Range
More than 3,000 nmi advertised aircraft range

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Speed
Up to Mach 0.86

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Altitude
Up to 45,000 ft

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Payload
Internal and underwing mission positions; mass not disclosed on reviewed page

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Sensors
Mission-kit-dependent configuration

Published supplier specification; configuration and conditions affect performance.

Source ↗
Communications / navigation
Not established from the reviewed sources.

Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases.

Source ↗