Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has expanded its manufacturing campus in Oklahoma City with the addition of more than 100,000ft2 of production and assembly space.
The expansion, disclosed on 6 July, is intended to address rising customer demand for the company’s range of jet-powered drone systems, including the Valkyrie collaborative combat aircraft and the Firejet/Mighty Hornet IV models.
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The company, which currently produces about 165 high-performance jet drones each year, states that the extended facility will allow for increased production volumes to meet the requirements of both the US Department of War and allied nations.
The new space will support manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing activities for several Kratos tactical jet programmes.
Kratos unmanned systems division president Steve Fendley said: “The future fight demands the ability to rapidly produce affordable, high-performance systems at scale.
“As autonomous systems become increasingly central to the future force, manufacturing readiness and producing at scale will be just as important as technology readiness, maybe more.”
The enhanced site will support greater output of the Valkyrie, which has been selected by the US Marine Corps as the framework for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme.
Valkyrie is designed for operations independently, in groups, or alongside piloted aircraft, and is positioned as an affordable and adaptable addition to military capabilities.
The facility will also contribute to the production of the Mighty Hornet IV, which is anticipated to play a central role in supporting Taiwan’s defence needs amid increasing international interest in unmanned systems.
In addition, Kratos’ Firejet system, used for training and operational tests by the US military and allied forces, will benefit from the manufacturing increase.
The Firejet supports training for missile, radar, air defence, counter-unmanned aircraft system (UAS), and directed energy weapon teams, with demand for these target systems on the rise.
The Oklahoma City expansion follows ongoing investments in manufacturing infrastructure, workforce development, and technology at the company.
Last month, the company revealed plans to expand production capacity for its Spartan line of turbojet engines, targeting output of 3,000 units in 2027.
