US Marines put their new experimental ‘loyal wingman’ to the test finding targets for a force of fifth-gen F-35 stealth fighters

The Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie had its fourth test flight earlier this month.

The US Marines successfully tested their experimental unmanned “loyal wingman” aircraft alongside F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets earlier this month.

The flight test, the fourth for the Marine Corp’s XQ-58A Valkyrie, was a milestone for the program that helped to advance the manned-unmanned teaming concept that the military is pursuing, an official said.

The Marine Corps said last week that during the test at this month’s Emerald Flag 2024 exercises at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida, the XQ-58A “effectively demonstrated its capabilities as a forward-deployed sensing platform— providing critical threat targeting data to Marine Corps fifth-generation aircraft to rapidly close advanced kill chains.”

The Valkyrie is a highly autonomous, low-cost tactical unmanned air vehicle.

The XG-58A Valkyrie, manufactured by Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, is an experimental stealth unmanned aerial combat aircraft designed to gather data and relay scouting information for its partner aircraft, as well as offer other combat options.

The Marine Corps ordered a pair of these aircraft as part of the Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program in late 2022. The first test flight for the Marines followed in October 2023. Other service branches have been experimenting with them as well.

These types of unmanned aircraft, dubbed “loyal wingmen,” have the capacity for artificial intelligence-driven autonomy. The Valkyrie conducted its first flight back in 2019 and is part of the US Air Force’s Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator Program.

Recent testing, which Col. Derek Brannon, the branch head for the Cunningham Group and deputy commandant for aviation, said “marked another milestone in the Marine Corps’ unmanned tactical aircraft program.” During the flight, the Valkyrie connected with the F-35Bs and other aircraft and ground participants via tactical data links, enabling digital communication.

The F-35, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and intended as a kind of quarterback for American combat power. Aircraft like the Valkyrie and other similar projects have the potential to enhance the capability.

The F-35B is the short-takeoff/vertical landing variant, designed for use aboard aircraft carriers and other vessels.

Brannon said in a statement that “the success of this flight test during Emerald Flag pushed the manned-unmanned teaming concept a step further for the entire Joint Force.”

The testing at that event was carried out in connection with US Air Force test and evaluation units, naval aviation operations, and defense engineering offices.

Emerald Flag, the Corps said, is focused on testing new and emerging technologies from across the military, including “integrating advanced long-range kill chains.” These efforts, it said, enable “programs through a range of realistic combat training environments on air, space, and cyber space platforms.”