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The US Air Force announced its plans to build a fleet of XQ-58A Valkyrie AI-controlled drones, Engadget reports.
When it comes to using cutting-edge technologies in warfare, the United States Army is the first name that comes to mind. As the most powerful army in the world, the US Army has a bright record of investing in new technologies. This time, the Pentagon has requested a $6 billion federal budget to build a fleet of AI-controlled drones.
The budget will be spent on building a fleet of XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft built by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The XQ-58A is 30 feet long and weighs 2,500 pounds. It can also carry up to 1,200 total pounds of weapons. While the Kratos CEO already said each XQ-58A drone costs $6.5 million, a bulk order might lower the price to $3 million.
The US Air Force invests $6 billion on a fleet of AI-controlled drones
The XQ-58 Valkyrie is still an experimental stealth aircraft, but the army hopes to have an operational fleet of them as soon as possible. The drone has already operated in a three-hour demonstration at Elgin Air Force Base. This AI-controlled drone will be used in combat missions to support F-22 and F-35 aircraft, which cost $143 million and $75 million.
The XQ-58 Valkyrie is a product of USAF’s Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) program and can be used for surveillance and resupply actions as well. Additionally, the drone’s weapons and instructions are adjustable according to the mission.
The USAF test pilot, Major Ross Elder, called the XQ-58 Valkyrie testing a “very strange feeling.” He added, “I’m flying off the wing of something that’s making its own decisions. And it’s not a human brain.” Of course, the USAF asserted that drones remain under human control.
The $6 billion budget requested by the Pentagon is for the next five years and needs Congress’s approval. The program might require an initial budget of $3.3 billion in 2024.