US air drive invests in valkyrie’s amphibious excessive velocity VTOL
valkyrie moves forward in HSVTOL challenge
valkyrie systems aerospace has been selected to move to the next stage of a HSVTOL (high speed vertical and take-off landing) concept challenge launched by AFWERX. established in 2017, AFWERX is an arm of the US air force that fosters innovation in the military through programs that support both internal innovators and external tech entrepreneurs.
‘we are so proud to be selected to move forward in this AFWERX HSVTOL challenge. being selected only solidifies our belief in the hoverjet design and capabilities of our aircraft. whether military or commercial applications, VSA continues to push the envelope in terms of HSVTOL vehicles’ said glenn dawson, founder/CEO of valkyrie systems aerospace.
images and main video courtesy of valkyrie systems aerospace
the guardian hoverjet
the competition brief is to design a state-of-the-art HSVTOL with agile mobility that supports four critical mission profiles: infiltration and exfiltration of special operations forces (SOF) and equipment; personnel recovery (PR); aeromedical evacuation (AE); tactical mobility (TM).
valkyrie has answered the brief with its streamlined, stealth-designed guardian hoverjet, an optionally piloted aircraft that can lift and deliver a full 2,722kg of cargo at sea level. performance-wise, guardian boasts a top sprint speed of 724 km/h and a cruise speed of 547 km/h. it also has an endurance of 15 hours and can fly at altitudes of up to 12,192 meters above ground level. the guardian hoverjet is pretty sizeable too, with an empty weight of 3,629 kg and dimensions of 7.3m x 9.1m x 1.8m.
valkyrie says both its guardian and smaller eagle hoverjets offer several key advantages when compared to surface-based amphibious vehicles currently in military use. these include hovercraft and amphibious modes as well as the capacity to land on water. the company also promises the capability to detect mines and other threats thanks to a distributed aperture radar system and hyperspectral sensors.
valkyrie says its hoverjets offer aircraft, hovercraft and amphibious modes
dawson continued, ‘there are so many positives to working with AFWERX as well as united states special operations command (USSOCOM). whether it is collaborating to create products that can positively impact our service people by helping to create a more resilient and mission-ready military force or the opportunity for VSA to receive funding for concept development as well as the potential to create business partnerships with the air force or other US government agencies, we’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward in this competition.’
steve tafoya, valkyrie’s managing partner, summed up the following steps, ‘in this next phase, we are looking to develop our solution and concept further to provide the united states special operations command (USSOCOM) as well as the US air force, the research necessary towards delivering a conceptual design that fits their needs and satisfies the competition.’
project info:
company: valkyrie systems aerospace
competition: AFWERX challenge
