Kratos Announces Successful Achievement of Final BQM-177A Subsonic Aerial Target Milestone Prior to Production
November 29 2016 - 7:00AM
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a
leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that
its Unmanned Systems Division (USD) has recently successfully
achieved the final development program milestone for its BQM-177A
Subsonic Aerial Target (SSAT), which will allow for Low Rate
Initial Production (LRIP) to begin once the Federal Fiscal 2017
Budget is approved. The SSAT program is designed to meet the
U.S. Navy’s requirements for a new High Fidelity Target to
replicate subsonic anti-cruise missile threats in direct support of
fleet training and weapon system testing and evaluation.
The BQM-177A will initially augment, and will
eventually replace the existing BQM-74E Targets and will deliver
longer range, lower cruise altitudes and greater
maneuverability. The SSAT Program is being managed by the
Naval Air System command (NAVAIR) Aerial Target and Decoy Systems
Program Office (PMA-208).
The BQM-177A is based on Kratos' BQM-167X
Aircraft, a derivative of the BQM-167A Skeeter Target currently
being supplied to the U.S. Air Force. While leveraging legacy
designs of the BQM-167A, the BQM-177A introduces a new fuselage
with area ruling, high mounted wings and an internally integrated
MicroTurbo TR-60-5+ turbo jet engine for reduced transonic drag.
The BQM-177A can support various mission requirements by carrying a
variety of internal and wing tip mounted payloads, including
electronic counter measures, active and passive radar augmentation,
infrared, identification of friend or foe, internal chaff and flare
dispensing, threat emitter simulators, smoke and scoring.
Jerry Beaman, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems
Division, said, “The entire USD team is proud to have recently
achieved the final development milestone on the United States Navy
SSAT Program that was required prior to the commencement of
production, which we currently expect to begin early next
year.”
Eric DeMarco, President & CEO of Kratos, said,
“The United States Navy is one of our company’s most important
customers, and the Kratos and USN teams have in unison achieved
this critically important milestone. We expect to enter into
production on the SSAT Program in 2017, along with another Kratos
unmanned aerial target drone program that we have under
contract. These two programs are the primary drivers in our
expectation to double the size of our unmanned systems business
over the next two years.”
About Kratos Defense & Security
SolutionsKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
(Nasdaq:KTOS) is a mid-tier government contractor at the forefront
of the Department of Defense’s Third Offset Strategy. Kratos
is a leading technology, intellectual property and proprietary
product and solution company focused on the United States and its
allies’ national security. Kratos is the industry leader in
high performance unmanned aerial drone target systems used to test
weapon systems and to train the warfighter, and is a provider of
high performance unmanned combat aerial systems for force
multiplication and amplification. Kratos is also an industry
leader in satellite communications, microwave electronics, cyber
security/warfare, missile defense and combat systems. Kratos
has primarily an engineering and technically oriented work force of
approximately 2,800. Substantially all of Kratos' work is performed
on a military base, in a secure facility or at a critical
infrastructure location. Kratos' primary end customers are National
Security related agencies. News and information are available at
www.KratosDefense.com.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking
StatementsCertain statements in this press release may
constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current
beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos
and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking
statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of
the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to
update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes
that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements
are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially
from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking
statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in
these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the
business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the
Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended
December 27, 2015, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and
8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.
Press Contact:
Yolanda White
858-812-7302 Direct
Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com
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