Kratos To Showcase XQ-222 Valkyrie, UTAP-22 Mako At 2017 Paris Airshow

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will unveil a new class of unmanned aerial systems XQ-222 Valkyrie and UTAP-22 Mako at the 2017 Paris Air Show held in June 19-25.

The Valkyrie and the Mako are highly maneuverable, stealthy, able to fly at near supersonic speeds, and can carry and deploy 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.

Most important, Kratos’ UAVs are aligned with emerging military strategies because they are reusable and lower priced in the $2 million to $3 million range.

The Valkyrie was recently announced by the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) at a presentation on its Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) program at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

“If you team up a bunch of these aircraft with an F-35 or an F-22, or some of our surveillance assets, you’d basically be able to cover more space at a lower cost point,” Bill Baron, AFRL LCAAT project manager, told the Dayton Daily News at the May 9 event.

The Valkyrie has been in development since July 2016, when the US Air Force awarded a contract to Kratos to develop the LCAAT.

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.