NCSIST and Kratos Unveil the Game-Changing Mighty Hornet IV High-Speed Attack UAV at TADTE 2025

Rhea-AI Summary

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) have unveiled the Mighty Hornet IV Attack UAV, a transformed version of the MQM-178 target drone. The advanced unmanned aerial vehicle will be showcased at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) from September 18-20, 2025.

The Mighty Hornet IV features impressive capabilities including Mach 0.8 speed, high G maneuvering, and a service ceiling exceeding 35,000 feet. Under the partnership agreement, Kratos will market the UAV internationally. The platform has demonstrated success in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) and loitering munition scenarios, building on Kratos's 15-year history of providing aerial target support to Taiwan.

Insights

Defense Technology Analyst

Kratos expands global reach with NCSIST partnership, transforming target drones into high-speed attack UAVs for international defense markets.

The Kratos-NCSIST partnership to transform the MQM-178 target drone into the Mighty Hornet IV Attack UAV represents a strategic market expansion for Kratos. This collaboration leverages Kratos' existing platform while creating new revenue opportunities through international marketing rights.

The technical specifications are particularly noteworthy: Mach 0.8 speed, high-G maneuverability, and 35,000+ feet service ceiling position this UAV in the high-performance category of unmanned systems. These capabilities make it especially suitable for contested airspace operations where speed and maneuverability are critical survival factors.

What's most significant here is the evolution from target drone to attack platform - a transformation that aligns with current military trends toward cost-effective, expendable combat assets. The mention of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) and loitering munition applications indicates the system's versatility across multiple mission profiles.

The 15-year history of providing aerial targets to Taiwan suggests established logistics channels and support infrastructure that will facilitate this expanded relationship. For Kratos, this represents continued execution of their strategy to commercialize military drone technology beyond traditional DoD customers, potentially opening doors to allied Asian markets where defense spending is increasing in response to regional tensions.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) have partnered to introduce the Mighty Hornet IV Attack UAV, a revolutionary transformation of the MQM-178 target drone. This advanced UAV will be showcased at the upcoming Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), held September 18-20 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

NCSIST's collaboration with Kratos, which includes an agreement for Kratos to market the Mighty Hornet IV internationally, highlights the UAV's potential to meet global defense needs. The modified MQM-178's high-speed capabilities, including a speed of Mach 0.8, high G maneuvering, and a service ceiling of greater than 35,000 feet, make it an ideal base platform for this transformation.

Kratos Tactical Firejet

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3bc0c308-8b97-4b71-9adf-cafc6d62d03d

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, "The Mighty Hornet IV marks a significant leap in military capability for Taiwan and a natural extension of the aerial target support Kratos has provided Taiwan for the last 15 years. This groundbreaking collaboration truly highlights Kratos' commitment to innovation and excellence in the defense sector."

The Mighty Hornet IV not only embodies cutting-edge technology but also benefits from proven performance in collaborative exercises. Recent demonstrations showcased the MQM-178's reliability and adaptability, reinforcing its role in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) and loitering munition scenarios and validating its impressive flight characteristics.

Don't miss the chance to witness the unveiling of the Mighty Hornet IV at TADTE 2025. This event will spotlight Taiwan's commitment to innovation and resilience in defense, underscoring Kratos's integral role in shaping the future of military technology.

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.

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. Such statements relate to a variety of matters including, without limitation, Kratos’ expectations regarding the use of the proceeds from the public offering, the pipeline for opportunities, and Kratos’ success with respect to such opportunities, as well as other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. 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 including, but not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to market conditions as well as general economic factors. 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 29, 2024 and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.

Press Contact:
Claire Cantrell
claire.cantrell@kratosdefense.com

Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com

FAQ

What are the key features of Kratos's Mighty Hornet IV Attack UAV?

The Mighty Hornet IV features Mach 0.8 speed, high G maneuvering capabilities, and a service ceiling greater than 35,000 feet. It's based on the MQM-178 target drone platform.

When and where will KTOS showcase the Mighty Hornet IV UAV?

The Mighty Hornet IV will be showcased at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) from September 18-20, 2025, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

What is the partnership between Kratos and NCSIST for the Mighty Hornet IV?

NCSIST and Kratos have partnered to develop the Mighty Hornet IV, with Kratos receiving international marketing rights for the UAV. The collaboration builds on their 15-year relationship in aerial target support.

What applications has the Mighty Hornet IV been tested for?

The Mighty Hornet IV has been successfully demonstrated in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) operations and loitering munition scenarios, proving its reliability and adaptability.