Kratos Defense and Security Solutions is bringing the XQ-222 Valkyrie and UTAP-22 Mako drones to Paris. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can fly longer, faster, and higher than even the dreaded Reaper drone.
Let’s break these bad boys down.
Figure 1: The XQ-222 Valkyrie. (Image Credit: Kratos Defense and Security Solutions)The XQ-222 Valkyrie is 29 feet in length with a wingspan measuring 22 feet. It can reach a top speed of 0.85 Mach (652 mph). Its altitude extremes range from 50 to 45,000 feet and has a maximum range of 4,7000 nautical miles.
Known as the ultimate wingman, the UTAP-22 Mako is smaller in design, with a length of 20.1 feet and wingspan of 10.5 feet. The Mako does rev up the speed since it’s capable of hitting 0.91 Mach (698 mph). This drone can sustain flight for a range of 1,400 nautical miles as it flies between its altitude parameters of 20 to 50,000 ft.
You can learn more by reading the UTAP-22 Mako datasheet.
(Image Credit: Air Force Research Labs (AFRL))Since these UAVs can act as wingmen to human-operated aircraft, the duo has been dubbed as potentially the most lethal of its kind. With a relatively low cost of two to three million dollars, deadly unmanned swarms could be the future of aerial warfare.
Although the two drones won’t take to the sky during the Paris Air Show, they’ll still be present at the event. Trials of the UTAP-22 Mako have been taking place in areas of California, while the XQ-222 Valkyrie is scheduled for flight tests by 2018.
