Kratos has announced the development of landing gear for its XQ-58A Valkyrie UCAV, which was originally developed as a RATO type with parachute landing.
The addition of landing gear will allow XQ-58A to take off and land on its own without requiring rocket assist and parachute. Kratos has been working on conventional takeoff capability for XQ-58A, having performed a test with an unpowered trolley.
Conventional takeoff/landing is something uncharacteristic of XQ-58A, which was developed with rapid deployment without the use of a runway and even with a proposal for a containerised launch unit.
The USAF likely asked for conventional operation capability, as the USMC would be the least likely to be interested. As one of the two customers for XQ-58A, USMC relocates quite often, and the RATO capability fits this routine. However, the USAF’s deployments are less mobile, and RATO would be something out of priority.
Adding landing gear to XQ-58A might take away the unique RATO capability or require adjustments for the extra weight.
XQ-58A Valkyrie
XQ-58A was developed as a UCAV with runway-independent operation and low cost in mind. Thus, it is rather simple and lighter compared to the recent CCA Increment I winners YFQ-42 and YFQ-44.
The UCAV is notable for its launch by RATO or trolley, as demonstrated before. These support the main philosophy behind it, which is easy deployment and attritablity.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
