Kratos Defense Celebrates the 200th Launch of the BQM-177A in Support of U.S. Navy Exercises

Rhea-AI Summary

Kratos Defense announced the 200th launch of its BQM-177A Sub-Sonic Aerial Target (SSAT) on April 2, 2024, at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, supporting the U.S. Navy's AIM-9X mission. The BQM-177A emulates high-speed, sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile threats, capable of speeds over 0.95 Mach and altitudes as low as 6.6 feet. This versatile aerial target supports various mission needs with multiple payload options. Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, and Greg Crewse, Program Manager for the Navy’s Aerial Targets Program Office, highlighted the important role and future relevance of the BQM-177A in military training and operations.

Positive

• 200th successful launch of the BQM-177A, indicating reliability and performance.
• Supports U.S. Navy's AIM-9X mission, showing operational integration.
• Capable of high speeds (over 0.95 Mach) and low-altitude (6.6 feet) sea-skimming, enhancing threat emulation.
• Versatile with multiple payload options, including RF augmentation and electronic countermeasures.
• BQM-177A plays a important role in modern military training.
• Acknowledged by both Kratos and Navy officials, indicating strong partnership and commitment.

Negative

• No direct mention of financial gains or new contracts resulting from this milestone.
• Potential dependency on U.S. Navy contracts, posing a risk if military budgets change.

SAN DIEGO, May 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets and an industry-leading provider of high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial systems, today announced that on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the Kratos BQM-177A flew in support of the U.S. Navy’s AIM-9X mission at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, in California. This event marked the 200th launch of the BQM-177A by Pacific Target and Marine Operations (PTMO) and resulted in the successful completion of the exercise.

The BQM-177A is the U.S. Navy’s next-generation Sub-Sonic Aerial Target (SSAT). While it provides formidable threat emulation for air-to-air engagements, the BQM-177A’s aerodynamic design and unmatched performance capabilities make it the best choice for highly dynamic, high-subsonic, sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile threat emulation.

Capable of speeds in excess of 0.95 Mach and a sea-skimming altitude as low as 6.6 feet, the BQM-177A has no equal when it comes to delivering realistic anti-ship missile threat emulation.

BQM-177A Launch

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/98455d1f-3f35-4752-bf67-69a0bf3485b2

This highly versatile aerial target supports a variety of mission requirements by carrying a wide array of internal and external payloads, including proximity scoring, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), passive and active RF augmentation, electronic countermeasures, infrared (IR) augmentation (plume pods), chaff and flare dispensers, and towed targets.

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said about the program’s bicentennial milestone, “Because of its high-performance capabilities and demonstrated reliability, the BQM-177A has proven to play a crucial role in the training of today’s warfighters. With a global shift toward the use of drones in military applications, this platform is only becoming more relevant in the unmanned landscape of today’s battlefield. The 200th launch is an indicator of just how valuable the 177 is to executing the Navy’s objectives, and I am very proud of the role we have to play in preparing our nation’s warfighting personnel to be ready for what’s next.”

Acknowledging this significant program milestone, Greg Crewse, Program Manager for the Navy’s Aerial Targets Program Office (PMA-208), said, “The 200th launch of the BQM-177A is a significant achievement that reflects the dedication and skill of our collective team. We are committed to supporting our warfighters' need for next-generation target threat capability and are excited to continue improving aerial target systems to ensure that our Navy is ready for any challenge."

Additional information on this achievement can also be found here:
https://www.navair.navy.mil/news/Symphony-motion-PTMO-marks-milestone-200th-BQM-177-launch/Tue-04302024-1614.

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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain 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 31, 2023, 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

FAQ

What is the significance of the 200th launch of Kratos BQM-177A?

The 200th launch marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the reliability and important role of the BQM-177A in supporting the U.S. Navy's training and operational missions.

How does the BQM-177A support the U.S. Navy's AIM-9X mission?

The BQM-177A emulates high-speed, sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile threats, providing realistic training scenarios for the U.S. Navy's AIM-9X mission.

What capabilities does the BQM-177A have?

The BQM-177A can reach speeds over 0.95 Mach and fly at altitudes as low as 6.6 feet. It supports various payloads, including RF augmentation and electronic countermeasures.

Why is the BQM-177A important for military training?

The BQM-177A provides realistic threat emulation, important for preparing warfighters for modern battlefield challenges, enhancing training effectiveness.

What are the potential risks for KTOS investors regarding the BQM-177A program?

Potential risks include dependency on U.S. Navy contracts, which could be affected by changes in military budgets.