XQ-58 Valkyrie drone crash at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground

An experimental XQ-58 Valkyrie unmanned aircraft operated by Kratos Defense crashed shortly after take‑off from the Michael Army Airfield at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah on August 4. The drone, which is not owned or operated by the U.S. military, fell soon after launch from a test‑range runway. No injuries or damage to facilities were reported.

Kratos issued a statement saying safety is the top priority and that flight‑test operations for the Valkyrie system have been temporarily suspended while the cause of the mishap is investigated. The company indicated it has additional test systems ready to resume once the investigation is complete.