Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc, headquartered in San Diego, California,[3] is an American technology company with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military electronics. Customers include the U.S. federal government, foreign governments, commercial enterprises and state and local government agencies. The company is divided into 6 divisions.
 | |
| Formerly | Wireless Facilities Incorporated (1994–2007) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| |
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Directed-energy weapons, electronics, unmanned aerial vehicles |
| Revenue |  US$1.2 billion (2024) |
| US$250 million (2024) | |
| US$225 million (2024) | |
| Total assets | US$1.55 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$4 billion (2024) |
Number of employees | 3,600 (December 2024) |
| Website | kratosdefense |
| Footnotes / references [1][2] | |
Some of Kratos' most recent products are part of a Pentagon effort to invest in businesses in Silicon Valley.[4]
History
editKratos Defense & Security Solutions was founded as Wireless Facilities Incorporated (WFI),[5] a company whose primary market was the building and support of the telecommunications infrastructure and networks. In 2004, the company primarily sold its services to the US Government, mostly the U.S. Department of Defense.
From 2004 to 2009, the company acquired several companies in the federal services business. Acquisitions included several small public safety firms and mid-sized professional services firms such as:
- High Technology Solutions (HTS), communications systems engineering and operational network outsourcing.
- Madison Research (MRD): engineering and information technology services.
- Haverstick Consulting (Haverstick): engineering and program management, and government outsourcing
- SYS Technologies (SYS): information technology products (dopplerVUE and NeuralStar), services and wireless communication systems for the United States Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and various industrial customers.[6]
- Digital Fusion, Inc (DFI)[7]
In September 2007, the company's name was changed to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions.[8]
Merger with Integral Systems
editOn July 27, 2011, Integral Systems merged with Kratos.[9] Integral Systems provided services regarding the handling of data from space and terrestrial-based platforms into networks for military, government, and commercial satellite and aerospace customers.[10]
Integral Systems employed about 800 people in 14 locations, and had 6 subsidiaries:[9]
- Integral Systems, Inc.: central holding company.[10]
- Integral Systems Europe: European branch.[11]
- Lumistar: telemetry products for PCI, VME, cPCI, and ISA computer buses.[12]
- Newpoint Technologies: communications infrastructure management.[13]
- RT Logic: signal processing systems for the space and aerospace communications industry.[14]
- SAT Corporation: SAT Corporation bought CVG, Inc. and changed its name to SATCOM Solutions. Less than a year later, Kratos bought Integral Systems, and changed SATCOM Solutions back to CVG, Inc.[9][15]
- CVG, Inc.: satellite-based communication services. Its subsidiaries include Avtec Systems, Inc. and Sophia Wireless.[16]
In February 2019, Kratos purchased Florida Turbine Technologies.[17]
Technical Directions Inc. (TDI)
editOn February 24, 2020, Kratos bought small turbojet manufacturer, Technical Directions Inc. (TDI), based in Detroit, Michigan.[17] Their smallest TDI-J45 powered the AFRL LOCAAS program of Lockheed Martin, a late 1990s endeavor to build a cheap anti-tank missile, which was since cancelled.[17] It was selected by starting an engine using a leaf blower: TDI achieved ignition at 5% engine speed.[17] TDI engines typically operate at 200–534 kn (370–989 km/h) and at altitudes of 20,000-30,000 ft; they run the fuel through the mechanical bearings to avoid oil lubrication.[17]
| Model | TDI-J45[18] | TDI-J5[19] | TDI-J7[20] | TDI-J85[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 4.50 in (114 mm) | 5.73 in (146 mm) | 7.08 in (180 mm) | 8.81 in (224 mm) |
| Thrust (idle – max) | 6-30 lbf (27-133 N) | 7-55 lbf (31-245 N) | 10-100 lbf (44-445 N) | 20-200 lbf (88-890 N) |
| Airflow | .70 lb/s (0.32 kg/s) | 1.00 lb/s (0.45 kg/s) | 2.00 lb/s (0.91 kg/s) | 2.00 lb/s (0.91 kg/s) |
| Weight | 6.1 lb (3.5 kg) | 6.3 lb (3.5 kg) | 16 lb (7.2 kg) | 28 lb (12.7 kg) |
| Generator | 1.2 kW | |||
The TDI-J85 powers the US AFRL’s Gray Wolf, a low-cost cruise missile built by Northrop Grumman with a range of at least 250 nm (463 km).[17] In March 2020, the Gray Wolf was tested with high altitude operation and multiple inflight engine starts.[17] The Gray Wolf may be used in a networked swarm, like the AFRL Golden Horde initiative to be demonstrated in late 2020 with a modified Small Diameter Bomb I and a modified Miniature Air-Launched Decoy, coordinated against a simulated target in a fall 2021 demonstration.[17]
Products
edit- AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System
- Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie
- Composite Engineering BQM-167 Skeeter
- "Demogorgon", or "Off-Board Sensing Station" drone (OBSS program)[22]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Wireless Facilities, Inc. 2006 Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. 2022 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 23 February 2023.
- ^ "About Kratos - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions". kratosdefense.com.
- ^ Gregg, Aaron (2017-06-14). "The Pentagon is building robotic wingmen to fly alongside fighter planes". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ Banas, Mike, WFI Announces Agreement to Sell U.S. Wireless Engineering Business Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, GlobeNewsWire, May 29, 2007
- ^ Allen, Mike. Kratos Acquires SYS Technologies in $53 million deal: CEO says no competitive overlap between the two[dead link], San Diego Business Journal, March 3, 2008
- ^ Babbush, Rob. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Completes Merger with Digital Fusion, GlobeNewsWire, December 24, 2008
- ^ "Investor FAQs". ir.kratosdefense.com. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ a b c "SEC 8K".
- ^ a b "Satellite Network Management & Carrier Monitoring Software - Kratos Communications". www.integ.com.
- ^ "Satellite Network Management & Carrier Monitoring Software - Kratos Communications". www.integ-europe.com.
- ^ "Lumistar – Lumistar". www.lumi-star.com.
- ^ "Newpoint Technologies, Inc. | Satellite Network (M&C;) Monitor and Control Systems". Archived from the original on 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
- ^ "Kratos RT Logic solutions for space, satellite, launch systems, space situational awareness ssa, enterprise ground services EGS, protected comms, spectrum integrity, rf spectrum protection, rf spectrum management for range, engineering services - RT Logic". www.rtlogic.com.
- ^ "Avtec Products - RT Logic". www.avtec.com.
- ^ "Automatic Redirection - Test". www.cvginc.net. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Garrett Reim (2 April 2020). "'Low-cost is the technology': Kratos buys jet turbine maker behind AFRL Gray Wolf cruise missile". Flightglobal.
- ^ "TDI-J45". Technical Directions Inc.
- ^ "TDI-J5". Technical Directions Inc.
- ^ "TDI-J7". Technical Directions Inc.
- ^ "TDI-J85". Technical Directions Inc.
- ^ Tingley, Brett (2022-01-17). "Kratos Reveals Existence Of Secretive Demogorgon Unmanned Combat Aircraft Program (Updated)". The War Zone. Retrieved 2024-04-08.