Kratos Defense
Kratos Defense builds jet-powered attritable drones, aerial targets, hypersonic vehicles, and C5ISR systems for the U.S. military and allied customers.
Background
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California, operating under CEO Eric M. DeMarco.
The company grew through a series of defense acquisitions to become a primary provider of advanced unmanned systems and national security products, most recently absorbing Orbit Technologies, Ltd. into its fiscal 2026 structure.
Kratos's core product lines center on jet-powered unmanned aerial systems — most visibly the XQ-58 Valkyrie family of attritable tactical drones — alongside aerial target drones including the BQM-177A Subsonic Sea-Skimming Aerial Target and GQM-163, hypersonic vehicles developed under the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office, loitering munition propulsion systems, microwave electronic products for radar and counter-UAS applications, and virtualized satellite ground systems for C2 and TT&C.
Kratos operates primarily through two segments — Kratos Government Solutions and Unmanned Systems — selling directly to U.S. military services, combatant commands, and foreign military sales customers.
The company competes for large prime contracts while also partnering with major primes such as Northrop Grumman on programs like MUX TACAIR.