GRAND FORKS, ND – In significant collaboration, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has partnered with key North Dakota entities to successfully conduct test flights of the Kratos Valkyrie UAS and its associated Trolley Launch System (KTLS). This innovative system enables traditional rocket/catapult launch high-performance jet drones to be capable of traditional runway launch without RATO assist when runways are available at the operational site. The collaborative effort involved Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB), GrandSKY, and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS).
Leveraging Grand Forks’ unique ecosystem, its own extensive capabilities and North Dakota’s specialized operational flight test environment, the NPUASTS oversaw successful test flights of the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie utilizing the Test Site’s existing FAA certificate of authorization (COA).
“This is a perfect example of how the North Dakota drone ecosystem can lay the groundwork to bring more advanced UAS missions to Grand Forks,” said Trevor Woods, Executive Director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. “Kratos brings a completely unique aircraft to the ecosystem, and the successful flights from this past week are exciting to see executed in the region."
Working closely with GrandSKY, the NPUASTS developed a comprehensive COA package that utilized GFAFB’s DASR-11 radar surveillance as a Ground-Based Detect and Avoid system. Throughout the regulatory process the NPUASTS partnered with Kratos to create a Concept of Operations (ConOps), compile aircraft system documentation, address lost link procedures, conduct safety risk assessments, and ensure compliance with Technical Standard Orders and FCC/Frequency regulations.
Steve Fendley, President Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “The availability of the GrandSKY resources and the support from Senators Hoeven and Cramer, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, and the North Dakota community at large has been an incredible enabler for our program. As we watch peer adversaries in both their preparations and active conflicts, and at the same time see the DoD budget impacts in our own nation, we have challenged ourselves at Kratos to solve today’s defense challenges with solutions that are realizable, near term achievable, and affordable. The perfect capability solution too late is really an abject failure; and we continually use this fact as a constraint on our approaches. We remain committed to developing and producing systems that are effective in the near term and deliver substantial effect/impact/utility per cost across the lifecycle.”
About the Northern Plains UAS Test Site
As one of seven FAA-designated UAS Test Sites, the NPUASTS is committed to leading the nation in autonomous technology solutions. Our mission is to innovate, test, and advance these technologies, bringing tangible benefits to communities nationwide. Through high-quality research, commercialization of UAS technologies, and active participation in policy and standards development, the NPUASTS is at the forefront of integrating UAS into the National Airspace System.
About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers’ mission critical needs and requirements. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading-edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos’ approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions. We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low-cost future manufacturing which is a value-add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers. Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos’ comfort level. Kratos’ primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, hypersonic vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter. For more information, visit www.KratosDefense.com.