Transcript for: Valkyrie Drone: Military and AI Integration
[Speaker] Launch, launch, launch. (drone engine firing) - [Narrator] This is
the new Valkyrie drone. It's a prototype of a system that is said to take out targets over a
distance of up to 3,000 miles and run on artificial intelligence. The Valkyrie XQ-58A could
be an important part of the US military's
multi-billion dollar effort to expand its arsenal
with thousands of drones in the next several years. All so it can keep up with
increasingly advanced adversaries like China. - The Department of Defense
has been quite clear that there's a concern about the conventional military
balance really shifting in the Indo-Pacific in favor of China, which has more missiles and more people than the United States. And so to offset that
eroding conventional balance, there's a view that we need to buy more next generation drones
to bring mass to the theater and reset the regional balance. - [Narrator] Here's how the
Valkyrie is built for stealth, and how it could fit into
the US military's plans to establish a fleet of
artificial intelligence systems. - It's really the only system flying, particularly that's been
flying as long as it has, with mission configuration
systems, with autonomy, with artificial intelligence, that's in the true attritable class range, which means sub-$10 million, fully integrated, mission capable. - [Narrator] The Valkyrie, made
by defense company, Kratos, is designed for stealth missions using parts that are easily sourced. It is still in the development process and will have to compete
with other AI-equipped drones for additional military funding. But within its class of drones, around the five to $10
million price point, military experts say
it's a notable contender. - We focus on a reduced number of parts. Obviously the fewer parts you have, typically the less expensive something is. Some of the avionics are common with general aviation aircraft. Some of the avionics are
custom and designed by us and by some of our suppliers
specifically for the Valkyrie. It's the mix of all those that
allows you to have a system with the capability level that this has, but without the sticker price of what typically would be
a manned fighter aircraft. - [Narrator] The Valkyrie
weighs 2,500 pounds, about as much as two or
three concert grand pianos. 30 feet long with a wingspan of 27 feet, it's made to evade radar
detection through its curved shape and more specific features
like the serpentine inlet that feeds its turbofan engine. The Valkyrie can accelerate to Mach 0.85, travel 3,000 miles at up
to 45,000 feet in altitude, and carry 600 pounds of weapons internally and the same amount on each wing. And it doesn't require a runway to launch. It can fly from aircraft
carriers, or small air fields. But one of the most important
parts of the Valkyrie is what's controlling it. - It's a combination of
the AI with the features of the aircraft itself
that really make it unique. So think about the Vanguard programs that the Air Force has rolled out to say, "This represents the future." Like adding un-crewed systems, performing manned, unmanned teaming, performing multiple teams of
un-crewed aircraft together, and all of those proof-of-concept elements have been demonstrated with
the Valkyrie as it's evolved. And in addition to proving
those basic concepts, the Valkyrie's evolved as a system so that it can be a
primary platform and system that will ultimately be used to perform those actual missions. - [Narrator] The US military
has recently doubled down on artificial intelligence
to counter threats from China and keep up with its
rapidly expanding arsenal. - We must move with urgency
and unity of purpose, to ensure we can maintain the peace and have our troops ready
for whatever may come. Because that's what's required in this era of strategic competition with the PRC. - [Narrator] While some
military technology already incorporates
artificial intelligence, like computers that pull data from satellite images or video, the military is exploring tech with much broader capabilities. From inexpensive drones with various
intelligence-gathering sensors, to automated missile defense systems. The military intends to use
these in such large numbers that enemies can't destroy them all. At this point, multiple branches of the
military and defense contractors are working on AI pilot systems. And they're testing
some with the Valkyrie. The Air Force Research Lab
conducted its first test mission with an AI-equipped
Valkyrie over the summer. And Shield AI, a contractor
for the Defense Department, is working on its own
AI pilot with the drone. The Valkyrie is designed to
run a variety of missions in contested airspace. Its AI pilot would use a
range of sensors to monitor and interpret its surroundings. The AI would share that
information and act on it, issuing commands to the plane's
onboard computer system, which would determine the flight path and settings to get where it needs to go. If the Valkyrie locates a target, it would get human authorization before neutralizing it using
bombs or other weapons. In a military operation, the Valkyrie could execute
missions autonomously, or be used in conjunction
with fighter jets. Because the Valkyrie can carry up to 1,800 pounds of payload, it could also be used to
launch a variety of weapons. But many military experts
have voiced concerns about putting weapons in
the wings of drones running on artificial intelligence. That drones could
inadvertently deploy weapons that could cause harm
or escalate conflict. - There are huge ethical and potentially legal
considerations associated with putting true artificial
intelligence in a drone. In the United Nations, there's discussions about
banning lethal autonomous weapons of course, but the
problem with all of this is that our adversaries
are unlikely to participate in any kind of ban on
lethal autonomous weapons. And the United States, in fact, is not participating in any kind of ban. So the real issue is that
even though we choose to act in a way that conforms with our values and our role in the international system, other countries may not choose to do that. - [Narrator] The Valkyrie is
priced at five to $10 million. That's a fraction of the
price of a crewed aircraft. An F-35 fighter jet can
cost about $90 million. Though in practice, many
cost significantly more. But as the US military looks
to add thousands of AI drones within the next two years to its fleet, it will also be exploring systems that are substantially cheaper. Even if they don't travel
as far, or as fast, or carry as many weapons, they could use the same AI
piloting software being developed on the XQ-58A. - Other drones could accept
some of the same autonomy. The basic AI and the ability to deploy AI across a number of
systems is very important. And if you look at some of the things that the Air Force has published lately, they've been very open. Their intent is to have a family
of systems across the DoD, and to maximize commonality
from an AI perspective, from an interface perspective, with those different
un-crewed aircraft systems so that it doesn't require
one specific trained operator for any one aircraft type. The difference again becomes
in the mission capability. - [Narrator] There's still
development work to go. In a test mission this summer, the Air Force Research Lab said an AI-equipped Valkyrie solved
a tactical challenge problem in the air, but didn't
provide more specifics. But whether the Valkyrie will move forward through proposed initiatives like the Air Force's planned collaborative combat aircraft
program remains to be seen. Other companies are also
working on their own drones, like Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat. According to Kratos, the Valkyrie is already at a
stage where it could be used. But full deployment is
probably at least a year away. - Because the Department of Defense hasn't really settled on
exactly the types of drones it wants to buy yet, and in fact probably
needs a family of drones. What you've seen is that
industry has responded to this demand signal with
this wonderfully diverse set of capabilities that really
do span the whole spectrum, from a very small to the much larger. Some of them are focused on intelligent surveillance reconnaissance, some of them can carry
air-to-air missiles. A real question and the thing
that industry is waiting for is where is that demand signal now to scale production of these drones? This is an urgent question because we want to shore up
for structure in short order to build up that combat credible force. - [Narrator] Given how big a shift economical AI-equipped weapons represent for the US military, it's unclear exactly
how or when the Valkyrie or the software being built on it will actually reach the battlefield. (bright music)