High demand for jet-powered unmanned aerial systems produced in Oklahoma City will lead Kratos Defense & Security Solutions to more than triple its local workforce.
The California-based company, which has had a presence in Oklahoma City since 2018, surpassed a milestone this week in turning out its 100th “Firejet” high-performance drone. But Oklahoma lawmakers and others who turned out to mark the event at the Kratos plant at the Will Rogers Business Park probably were most excited by news of the company’s rising expectations, which include plans for increasing its Oklahoma City workforce from about 160 to more than 500.
“Achieving the completion of the 100th Firejet produced here at our OKC facility marks an incredible milestone and includes several levels of significance,” said Steve Fendley, who oversees the company’s Unmanned Systems Division. “First, the successful growth of Kratos’ aircraft production capacity from a single site in California to effectively doubling our total capacity with the OKC site. It’s also an illustration of Kratos’ true partnership with Oklahoma’s leadership and congressional delegation, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Greater OKC Chamber, and the local community to make this possible.”
The company has two major drone systems in production in Oklahoma City, the MQM-178 Firejet and the XQ-58A Valkyrie. It’s also in prototype production of a third drone system.
Kratos MQM 178 Firejet
The Firejet is an unmanned platform that primarily serves as a high-subsonic-speed, highly maneuverable target used in the training of warfighters on the ground and in the air. Kratos customers include the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, as well foreign allied militaries. The system delivers “unmatched fighter-like performance and versatility” representing the most lethal threats faced by the United States and its allies, the company said in a release. It has proven critical both to the training of personnel and to the testing of multiple air-to-air and surface-to-air weapon systems.
The XQ-58A Valkyrie also is a high-performance tactical UAV capable of long-range flights at high-subsonic speeds.
Kratos is poised for continued annual increases in demand for its systems manufactured in Oklahoma City and will continue ramping up local production. The company said it will hire additional highly skilled engineering, design and manufacturing professionals.
The milestone event this week and the celebration of Kratos’ continuing success drew U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Reps. Stephanie Bice and Tom Cole, among others, to the industrial park at 7501 SW 29th St.
“Oklahoma is leading the nation in aerospace innovation and technology,” Mullin said. “We’re fortunate to have industry-leading partners like Kratos here in Oklahoma City to create high-paying jobs, bolster our economy, and keep our men and women in uniform supplied with the latest and greatest war fighting capabilities. I’m excited to see Kratos’ growth so far, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
Added Bice:
“The work that Kratos is doing right here in is critical in supporting our national security. Oklahoma is rapidly becoming a hub for innovation in the unmanned aerial systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems space, and Kratos plays an important role in this ecosystem.”
Top Photo: State and community leaders joined executives from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions at a ribbon-cutting for the company’s new 100,000-square-foot unmanned aircraft production facility in the Will Rogers Business Park, 7501 SW 29th St. in Oklahoma City. November 2018
Source: The Journal Record