First USMC MQ-58 Valkyrie CCA Drones to Arrive in 2029
5 hours ago
- #Uncrewed Aircraft
- #Military Technology
- #Marine Corps
- The U.S. Marine Corps aims to deploy its first conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones by 2029, and is exploring short takeoff and landing (STOVL) variants.
- The CCA program, under Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR), focuses on enhancing lethality of tactical aircraft in high-threat environments.
- Initial efforts involve the XQ-58 Valkyrie drone, with CTOL testing planned for mid-to-late summer 2024, and prototype deliveries targeted for 2029 to VMX-1 for tactical development.
- The Marine Corps is evaluating how to integrate CTOL drones like the MQ-58 with STOVL F-35Bs and exploring runway-independent or shorter runway capabilities, including STOVL/VTOL options.
- Current mission focus is on electronic warfare payloads, but other capabilities like carrying missiles (e.g., Ragnarok, AMRAAM) and bombs are under consideration.
- The program remains in a prototyping phase, with collaboration with multiple vendors (e.g., General Atomics, Anduril, Northrop Grumman) and no formal acquisition yet.
- Overall, MUX TACAIR represents an accelerated push for the Marine Corps' CCA capabilities, with a timeline for prototypes and ongoing experimentation.