American defense firm Kratos has reportedly completed the first flight of its “Thanatos” combat drone.
Thanatos is expected to integrate advanced artificial intelligence tools designed for high-risk missions traditionally undertaken by crewed aircraft. These capabilities aim to reduce risks for human pilots in combat situations.
Although the company released a computer-generated visualization of Thanatos in its financial report over a year ago, details regarding its features and design remain undisclosed.
Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, said that the company will continue developing Thanatos’ capabilities for the next 6 to 12 months, Aviation Week reported.
“Among the new capabilities we are working on, we are in discussions with a customer and hope to sign a contract next year for other tactical unmanned systems, including Thanatos,” Defence Industry Europe reported, quoting Kratos President and CEO Eric DeMarco.
Supplying the US Air Force
While Kratos has not identified any specific customers, the US Air Force is a likely candidate, given its history of acquiring Kratos-made combat drones in recent years.
In 2023, the company secured a $95-million contract to deliver fixed-wing, subscale, and jet-propelled unmanned target systems to the US Army.
The same year, the US Air Force awarded Kratos a $21.7-million contract for full-rate production of its BQM-167A aerial target drones.
Additionally, the firm won a $49.6-million deal to supply additional BQM-177A drones to the US Navy for testing developmental weapon systems.