– Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, a supplier of ultra-long endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology, has announced the award of $20 million through the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. This contract marks one of the largest awards since APFIT’s inception in 2022.
This contract will support the production and delivery of K1000ULE UAS to two organizations:
- U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1 MDTF)
- Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
– K1000ULE is a next-generation UAS designed for ultra-long endurance missions. The K1000ULE will provide the U.S. Army with unmatched Aerial Tier Network Extension (ATNE), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for deep sensing and communication extension over large distances.
“Over time, we have matured our technology in line with the requirements of the U.S. Army and continue to align the K1000ULE to meet the needs of the warfighter in a dynamically changing environment. The APFIT award validates our learning from conflict areas across the globe and our alignment to delivering mature technology that gives our warfighter an asymmetric advantage over our adversaries in modern warfare,”
Fatema Hamdani, CEO and Co-founder of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace.
As the U.S. Army sunsets the Shadow UAS Program, the K1000ULE is positioned to provide Group 2 and Group 3 UAS capabilities with a logistics footprint of Group 2 UAS.
“The APFIT award will enable us to rapidly scale manufacturing in order to meet customer demand. In addition, this award furthers our development in high endurance technologies while delivering critical capability to the U.S. Army.”
Stefan Kraus, CTO and Co-founder of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace.
Aligning with National Security Priorities
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace directly addresses the DoD’s critical technology needs through the K1000ULE. Our advanced AI, autonomy, and Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems enable real-time communication and information dissemination across the DoD, ensuring effective command and control in contested environments. This technology integrates disparate systems, shortens the sensor-to-shooter chain, and leverages innovative capabilities such as software-defined networking, creating a resilient and secure aerial command, control, and communication network.
The U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) recognized the K1000ULE’s deep reconnaissance and sensing capabilities as a critical need for the U.S. Army in 2022. This led to the K1000ULE becoming a platform that was included in various exercises and operations across various Pacific areas of operations including but not limited to the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Hawaii and Yuma Proving Grounds for the 1st Multi Domain Task Force (1 MDTF) through Balikatan, Salaknib, and Valiant Shield from 2022 through 2024. Kraus Hamdani Aerospace showcased the ability to operate deep sensing UAS capabilities along with EO/IR FMV (Full Motion Video) ISR, Electronic Warfare, and communications provisioning capabilities. This demonstrated capability culminated in USARPAC sponsoring the K1000ULE for the APFIT program, advancing its approval process to completion.
Additionally, the K1000ULE program gained momentum when the U.S. Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program focused on identifying a viable Aerial Tiered Network Extension (ATNE) platform to meet the Army’s need for long-range, long-dwell Aerial Tier communication. Beginning with Project Convergence ’21, through to the Capstone 4 experiment event in 2024, the K1000ULE met and exceeded FVLs expectations. This involvement highlighted the ability of the K1000ULE to seamlessly integrate with next-generation military payloads and communications technologies to provide aerial voice-and-data connectivity services for extended periods while providing advanced data and voice management capabilities.
Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies Program
The APFIT program, established by the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), is designed to expedite the transition of innovative technologies into production. APFIT prioritizes fielding essential equipment for the warfighter, with a focus on technologies developed by small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors like Kraus Hamdani Aerospace.
Our success within the APFIT program, coupled with the continued collaboration with OSC, underscores the U.S. Army’s confidence in the K1000ULE’s proven ability to elevate operational capabilities and meet evolving defense needs.
Source: Kraus Hamdani Aerospace