The number of F-15 Eagle fighters at the Kadena military base in Japan is gradually decreasing.At one time
What is known
Raptor is a temporary replacement for F-15s, which are more than 40years stationed on the island of Okinawa. There is still no information about which aircraft will now be located at the Kadena airbase. The island is located within range of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles. In the event of a massive shelling, even the $1 billion Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems will not be able to help.
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Therefore, the US Air Force is working ona two-in-one solution to kill two birds with one stone. The service considers XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicles, which do not require a runway or other stationary objects to launch. In addition, a drone costs several times less than an airplane. For example, instead of a squadron of 18 F-35 fighters, you can purchase more than three hundred UAVs.
Valkyrie passed several tests.Various versions of the unmanned aerial vehicle can have a range of about 4000 km and can carry air-to-air or air-to-surface missiles. For this, eight suspension points are provided. The maximum speed is Mach 0.85 (1050 km/h) and the altitude is almost 14 km.
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The XQ-58A lands using a parachute system.After completing the mission, mobile teams of specialists can quickly refuel the aircraft, install a new weapon package and launch the drone into the sky again. By the way, the fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II VTOL fighter has the same advantages, since it is used on aircraft carriers and does not require long runways.
Source: Breaking Defense
Image: Wikipedia, The Drive, Air Force Material Command