Kratos Defense has received a $95-million contract to supply unmanned target systems to the US Army.
According to the contract announcement, the target drones must be fixed-wing, subscale, and jet-propelled.
However, it did not specify which in the Kratos family of unmanned target systems will be delivered.
The American technology firm produces the BQM-167A target drone designed to provide realistic, comprehensive end-to-end weapons-release training.
It also manufactures the BQM-177A next-generation subsonic aerial target that can travel at speeds higher than Mach 0.95 and has a sea-skimming altitude of 6.6 feet (2 meters).
Both target drones reportedly provide formidable threat emulation for air-to-air engagements.
Work for the contract is expected to be completed by July 2028.
A Trusted Partner
Kratos has proven itself a trusted partner of the US armed forces in unmanned aerial targets.
In March, the US Air Force awarded the company a $21.7-million contract for the full-rate production of BQM-167A aerial target drones.
It was also tapped to supply additional BQM-177A to the US Navy to support the trials of developmental weapon systems.
“Kratos’ affordable target systems provide an incredibly high-performance-to-cost ratio and key, high-performance, and threat-representative capabilities to support USAF training and test needs,” Kratos President Steve Fendley stated.