Successful First Flight of Kratos’ Erinyes™ Hypersonic Test Bed

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a company specializing in technology for defence, national security, and global markets, has recently announced the successful launch and flight of the Kratos Erinyesâ„¢ Hypersonic Test Bed. The launch took place on June 12, 2024, from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia, with support from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC).

The inaugural flight of the Erinyes vehicle signifies a notable advancement in rapid hypersonic experimentation for the U.S. Department of Defense. Designated as Hypersonic Test Bed-1 (HTB-1), this exercise facilitated hypersonic flight, enabling the collection of valuable data for multiple experiments to support design validation and the evaluation of new technologies.

Dave Carter, President of Kratos' Defense & Rocket Support Systems (DRSS) Division, emphasized the impact of this achievement, stating, “Hypersonic experimenters now have a robust and affordable path across the Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The ability to demonstrate experimental technologies on a real hypersonic flight testbed, without adding risk to programs of record, is game-changing. Following this success, we will direct our focus towards preparing for our next test, incorporating a new set of experiments. I couldn't be prouder of our team.”

Furthermore, Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, underscored the strategic significance of this milestone, expressing, "The 100% successful flight of the Kratos Erinyes hypersonic vehicle with our MDA and Navy partners is indicative of the power of Kratos’ approach to be first to market with leading technology systems and products. This approach accelerates development and delivery schedules, while significantly reducing cost. Our Rocket and Hypersonic systems development programs are poised to disrupt the market with affordable, relevant systems. We anticipate that Kratos’ hypersonic franchise, including Erinyes, Zeus, Oriole, and other systems, will be a key contributor to our expected future organic growth trajectory. Kratos is unwavering focused on expanding the U.S. National Security Industrial Base, increasing competition, reducing cost, and delivering substantial value to all Kratos stakeholders, including the MDA, U.S. Navy, and other Government customers. Kratos has served the U.S. hypersonic community for decades through innovative system and vehicle flight testing."