The American company Kratos Defense has estimated the current production cost of the XQ-58 Valkyrie unmanned fighter jets at $6–8 million, depending on the configuration.
This was announced by Kratos Defense CEO Eric DeMarco during a conference attended by journalists from TWZ.
The base version of the Valkyrie, which rolls off the production line without specialized equipment for combat missions, costs approximately $6 million. Depending on the configuration, this amount can rise to $8 million.
At the same time, a fully equipped version with integrated systems for specific combat missions will cost more. The company’s CEO did not disclose its exact cost.
The updated estimate exceeds the manufacturer’s previous price guidelines. In 2024, Kratos cited a range of $4–6 million for rocket-launched versions, with the lower end assuming production of a batch of 100 drones.
Previously, the company also expected to reduce the cost per aircraft to $2 million by increasing the volume of serial production.
Despite the rising cost, Kratos considers the relatively low price to be one of the Valkyrie’s key competitive advantages in the market for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)-class unmanned combat aircraft.
By comparison, the U.S. Air Force is targeting an average cost of about $20 million per unmanned aircraft under the first phase of the CCA program once full-scale production begins.
XQ-58 Valkyrie
The XQ-58 Valkyrie is a stealth jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Kratos Defense in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
According to the manufacturer, the Valkyrie is capable of reaching speeds of up to 0.86 Mach, flying at altitudes of up to 13.7 km, and covering distances of over 5,500 km.
The UAV can carry weapons in its internal bay and on external hardpoints. It is intended for use in reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and target engagement.
The XQ-58A’s maiden flight took place in March 2019.
In August, one of the XQ-58 Valkyrie drones crashed during testing at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Following the incident, Kratos temporarily suspended flights of the relevant test configuration to investigate the cause of the crash.
In October, Militarnyi reported on the first flight of the U740 Valkyrie drone in Europe, which Kratos is developing in collaboration with Airbus.
Source: Militaryni
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