The U.S. Marine Corps has demonstrated for the first time off-board drone control using Link 16 communication on its recent third test flight of the XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial system at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The test was accomplished in collaboration with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and industry representatives, the USMC said Thursday.
The Marines added that the test’s results demonstrated that the prototype connection of Link 16 with Valkyrie meets the initial requirements for the needed autonomous tactical information exchange.
Using the satellite-based Link 16 significantly boosts the integrated and joint operations capability of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, which supports the Marines’ mission to deter conflict while also offering the opportunity to foil adversaries in evolving battlefields.
The USMC conducted the Link 16-Valkyrie test as part of the preparations for Emerald Flag 2024, a technology-focused multiservice and multidomain training exercise on joint warfare set for October.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and the Air Force Research Laboratory previously co-developed the Valkyrie as part of the latter’s Autonomous Collaborative Enabling Technologies portfolio, which seeks to develop a collaborative combat aircraft and other autonomous platforms.
The USMC conducted the first Valkyrie test in October 2023 and the drone’s second demo in March.