The Pentagon may soon unleash an army of robotic drones that are fast and smart enough to fly alongside fighter planes.

Two classes of drone designed to act as airborne wingmen in aerial missions have been unveiled by a Pentagon-backed startup in the Silicon Valley.

Though still in the testing phase, the drones could one day be used to protect human life by absorbing the first wave of an aerial attack.

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Pictured is an artistic impression of what the XQ-222 Valkyrie will look like. The smart drone has a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles

PENTAGON'S DRONES The Pentagon may soon unleash an army of robotic drones that are fast and smart enough to fly alongside fighter planes. Both UAVs use artificial intelligence to copy the movements of nearby planes, which means they don't need a ground-based pilot to keep up. The first, known as the UTAP-22 Mako, is a super-fast streamlined drone that can deliver 'a mix of lethal weapons', and fly at 700 miles/hour (1,123 km/hour) according to its creators. And the second, a 30ft-long UAV called the XQ-222 Valkyrie, has a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles, and a top speed of 650 miles/hour (1,049 km/hour). Aviation experts say this speed allows the drones to fly in tandem with F-16 and F-35 fighter planes. Advertisement

Drone manufacturer Kratos Defense and Security Solutions officially announced the two new lines of fighter drones this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The first, known as the UTAP-22 Mako, is a super-fast streamlined drone that can deliver 'a mix of lethal weapons', and fly at 700 miles/hour (1,123 km/hour) according to its creators.

And the second, a 30ft-long UAV called the XQ-222 Valkyrie, has a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles, and a top speed of 650 miles/hour (1,049 km/hour).

Aviation experts say this speed allows the drones to fly in tandem with F-16 and F-35 fighter planes.

Building of the drones was funded by the Defense Department’s Silicon Valley laboratory, dubbed DIUx, and the Air Force.

The UAVs use artificial intelligence to copy the movements of nearby planes, which means they don't need a ground-based pilot to keep up.

'These systems can conduct fully autonomous missions,' Steven Fenley, president of Kratos' unmanned systems division, told the Wall Street Journal.

The company has already flown the planes alongside manned jets and will carry out a second round of testing above California's Mojave Desert this summer.

In the tests, a pilot in an accompanying airplane will monitor their progress using a small Android tablet.

Aviation experts say the speed of the drones could allow them to fly in tandem with F-16 (pictured) and F-35 fighter planes

'In order to exploit the maneuverability of one of these aircraft, you need to have the sensing ability of when to exploit it,' Dave Deptula, a retired Air Force general who now serves as dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told the Wall Street Journal.

Using drones could help to protect human life by acting as a first line of aerial defence.

The drones also cost considerably less than manned aircraft. The reusable drones cost from $2 million to $3 million (£1.6m to £2.4m).

The move comes as the US army continue to develop robots that could play a major part in wars of the future.

Similar efforts have been made by the Navy, which is investing in autonomous submarines that scout the ocean floor and seek out mines.