Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has been awarded a $14m contract to provide its tactical jet drone system.
As part of this new agreement, the company will perform the associated work at secure customer locations, as well as at Kratos’ facilities.
The company has not provided any other additional information about the latest contract, due to security reasons and other related concerns.
Kratos’ family of tactical uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) includes the XQ-58A Valkyrie, UTAP-22 Mako and X-61A Gremlin.
Each UAV is capable of providing rapid reaction and runway-independent system support.
The purpose-built UAV has been developed for manned-uncrewed teaming (MUM-T) operations in a contested environment.
This family of cost-effective, expeditionary and high-performance tactical UAV provides various operational options for the warfighters, including concept of operations/ concept of employment (CONOPS/CONEMPS) options.
Kratos Uncrewed Systems Division president Steve Fendley said: “Kratos today has a family of affordable, high performance, tactical jet drone systems flying, including Valkyrie, MAKO, Gremlins, Airwolf and others.
“In 2015 Kratos demonstrated manned-uncrewed teaming with Kratos’ high-performance Mako jet drone systems flying with a manned fighter aircraft, with the Mako performing a series of autonomous and operator-supervised missions.
“Today’s contract award announcement continues Kratos’ industry-leading position and the evolution of certain of Kratos’ highest performance, most capable uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in the world.”
Kratos is also developing the Valkyrie UAV for the US Air Force’s (USAF) Skyborg programme.
Under the USAF’s programme, the company has recently completed a series of test flights for two production XQ-58A UAVs.
Prior to this test, the programme also included five test flights conducted between March 2019 and December 2020.
