Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has successfully completed a flight test of its production XQ-58A uncrewed air vehicle (UAV), under the Block 2 Valkyrie Maturation programme.
The test was conducted in collaboration with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
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It involved the use of another Block 2 XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft, which was manufactured in the company-initiated 12-lot build.
The test was conducted to validate the extended capabilities of the aircraft to undertake missions at comparatively longer distances and higher altitudes with heavier weights.
During the flight test, the teams used/demonstrated encrypted communication with redundant radios/communication packages to explore the possibility of executing missions remotely from government ranges.
The UAV was deployed in a simulated loss of communications scenario, under which the aircraft successfully navigated a site within the target zone for landing.
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By GlobalDataThis test marked Kartos’ contribution to AFRL’s Autonomous Collaborative Enabling Technologies (ACET) effort.
Separately, Kratos has reported an $8.0m net loss in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022 and a $0.06 GAAP loss per share.
It includes a $6.4m charge and $3.4m in certain non-recoverable costs.
In the quarter, Kratos posted revenues of $228.6m and an operating loss of $3.6m, which includes $6.6m of non-cash stock compensation and $9.6m of company-funded research and development expenses.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was $20.0m.
Kratos president and CEO Eric DeMarco said: “In Q3, Kratos executed on what we can control in a continued and increasingly difficult operating environment, including a 1.1 to 1.0 book-to-bill ratio and recent MACH-TB Hypersonic award with our partner Dynetics, which could be significantly related to Kratos’ Zeus launch systems and Erinyes vehicles.”
