Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. – based in San Diego, CA – recently announced that the Kratos Unmanned Systems Division has received a $19 million contract for the purchase of 21 high-performance jet target drones and spares. These subscale targets are used for live weapon system evaluations and testing.
The company’s portfolio of jet target drones includes the BQM-167A Air Force Subscale Aerial Target (AFSAT), the BQM-177A Navy’s Sub-Sonic Aerial Target (SSAT) and theMQM-178 Firejet. The BQM-167A Air Force Subscale Aerial Target (AFSAT) is the only subscale aerial target platform operated by the U.S. Air Force and has the primary role of providing realistic and comprehensive end-to-end weapons-release training. The BQM-177A is the US Navy’s next-generation Sub-Sonic Aerial Target (SSAT) used for highly-dynamic, high-subsonic, sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile threat emulation. The smallest of Kratos’ aerial targets, the MQM-178 Firejet provides a variety of end-to-end weapons-release training roles, including surface-to-air and air-to-air.
Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “To prepare for a forecasted growth in demand, Kratos Unmanned has invested in and expanded our production facilities over the past 12-18 months, allowing us to begin immediately fulfilling new orders even in these uncertain times. We are proud to continue supporting our Defense customers as critical infrastructure within the Defense Industrial Base. Upholding the nation’s security by helping our customers meet their critical needs while also protecting the safety and health of our employees is our top priority and will continue to be as we meet the increasing demand for our high-performance UAS.”