Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (A118 booth # 3) will officially unveil a new class of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) claimed to represent the future of air combat at the 2017 Paris Air Show.

At the show, Kratos will be presenting the XQ-222 Valkyrie and UTAP-22 Mako, which provide fighter-like performance and are designed to function as wingmen to manned aircraft in contested airspace.

Both vehicles are described as are highly maneuverable, stealthy, able to fly at near supersonic speeds, and capable of carrying and deploying weapons or surveillance systems. The larger Valkyrie, measuring in at roughly 30 feet in length, has a range of more than 3,000 nautical miles.

Kratos underlines that the UAVs are aligned with emerging military strategies because they are reusable and lower priced ($2m-$3m). This makes it cost efficient to deploy them in numbers that can effectively support manned aircraft or operate independently in combat.

The Valkyrie has been in development since July 2016, when the U.S. Air Force awarded Kratos a contract under the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) programme. After a less-than-two-year design and development effort, the Valkyrie is scheduled for its first flight in spring of 2018.

The Mako is already operational and is scheduled for follow-on test flights, where it will carry sensors and be teamed with manned aircraft, in June, July and August of this year.