Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has paused flight testing of its XQ-58 Valkyrie after a test-configured drone crashed shortly after takeoff at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The mishap occurred during a runway test at Michael Army Airfield, part of the Dugway range, and no injuries or damage to buildings were reported.
The aircraft was flying in an internally funded research-and-development programme when it went down on 4 August. Dugway personnel confirmed only that a drone crashed shortly after takeoff at about 8:00 a.m. local time, while Kratos identified the vehicle as an XQ-58 in a test configuration. The company has halted flight-test operations while investigators examine the cause.
The XQ-58 is closely watched as a low-cost uncrewed combat aircraft under development for collaborative combat roles, and the accident comes during a broader expansion of Valkyrie variants, including a landable version with landing gear. Reporting indicates the crash involved a runway-based configuration rather than the rocket-assisted launch mode used in earlier testing, though it remains unclear whether this was the first flight of the CTOL variant.