Kratos has started producing XQ-58 Valkyrie drones equipped with landing gear, despite a recent crash. The company is also continuing to produce rocket-assisted takeoff versions. The U.S. Marine Corps has announced plans to acquire a fleet of Valkyries with landing gear under its MUX TACAIR program.
The Valkyrie program is modular and highly configurable, with Kratos developing at least five distinct versions. The company has customers for both the rocket-assisted takeoff and landing gear-equipped versions, including the U.S. Air Force and international clients.
The addition of landing gear reduces the internal payload capacity, but offers advantages in terms of runway independence and flexibility. Kratos is working to expand the performance envelope of the design, with the goal of enabling distributed concepts of operations.
