California drone-maker Kratos is adding launchers to its main high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle designs.

The tube-style launchers can deploy small drones that themselves double as guided missiles. That’s right -- Kratos’s drones could launch other, smaller drones.

The launchers are a logical addition as Kratos works with the U.S. Air Force to develop a fighter-like “wingman” drone that the flying branch wants to accompany manned planes into combat.

Kratos’s stealthy, 28-feet-long XQ-58 Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle, a product of the Air Force’s Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft program, is the vehicle component of the flying branch’s wingman drone system. The jet-powered XQ-58 demonstrator flew for the first time over Yuma, Arizona on March 5, 2019.

The Air Force’s related Skyborg program meanwhile is developing the control systems to allow human operators in the air or on the ground to direct the drones in flight.

"Skyborg is a vessel for A.I. technologies that could range from rather simple algorithms to fly the aircraft and control them in air space to the introduction of more complicated levels of A.I. to accomplish certain tasks or sub-tasks of the mission," said Matt Duquette, an Air Force Research Laboratory engineer.

The Valkyrie’s capability for its part "ranges from the low side of semi-autonomous (operator-directed, autopilot-stabilized) to the side of semi-autonomous (waypoint nav)," a Kratos spokesperson told The National Interest via email. "The system includes standard interfaces to enable full autonomy capabilities."

But to take part in strike missions, the wingman drone needs weapons. Now Kratos has a plan for that.

Kratos on May 7, 2019 announced its intention to integrate tube launchers on its high-speed drones “to dramatically enhance situational awareness and system effectiveness.” The launchers are compatible with Switchblade small unmanned aerial systems produced by California-based AeroVironment.

The two-feet-long Switchblade carries sensors and a grenade-size warhead. It can fly at a top speed of around 100 miles per hour as far as six miles from its launcher while under the control of a human operator. Switchblade already is in service with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in a ground-launched role.

“AeroVironment’s small unmanned aircraft systems and tactical missile systems have transformed the way ground forces train, equip, plan and operate to deliver battlefield superiority,” said Trace Stevenson, an AeroVironment vice president.

“Working with Kratos, an innovative host aircraft partner, together we are developing and will demonstrate the integration of tube-launched UAS and tactical missile systems into long-range, high-speed and low-cost unmanned systems for their transport and delivery into near-peer, denied environments.”

The idea apparently is for a Valkyrie operating in conjunction with a manned fighter to fly ahead of the manned plane, penetrating enemy defenses before deploying its payload of Switchblades.

The smaller drones could surveil enemy ground forces before zooming down to attack. Any sensor data the Switchblades acquire could flow back to the wingman drone, which in turn could pass it along to human controllers, Kratos explained in release.

“With sufficient onboard autonomy, sensors, payloads and an integrated system design, we aim to demonstrate the deployment of large quantities of smart systems that overwhelm and disable enemy systems, while bending the cost curve to make it financially prohibitive for unfriendly nations to challenge our armed forces,” Stevenson said.

While Valkyrie takes shape ahead of its planned test effort ending in 2023, the Air Force is planning on developing the Skyborg control system to work with other combinations of drones and controllers.

The Air Force has been clear that, for now, Skyborg could fit any number of different airframes. "Skyborg is not scheduled for any particular type of aircraft platform at this time," the flying branch stated.

Kratos with its drone-launching drone is one of the first companies to develop a fully combat-capable robotic warplane that takes advantage of the latest advancements in autonomy.

But it surely won’t be the last. Fast, smart, heavily-armed drones are making their way to the aerial front line.

David Axe serves as Defense Editor of the National Interest. He is the author of the graphic novels  War Fix, War Is Boring and Machete Squad.