Get Started Free
Home›Aerospace & Defense›Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions logo
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Aerospace & Defense

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Company Overview

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions logo

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

● Active
Aerospace & Defense · San Diego, CA · Est. 2000
defenseunmanned systemsdronessatellitecyberDoDtactical systems↗ Website
$3.2B
Valuation
$1.1B
Revenue
4k+
Employees
2000
Founded

Kratos Defense is a US government technology company focused on unmanned systems, satellite communications, microwave electronics, and cyber warfare. Known for its Valkyrie and Gremlins drone programs and tactical satellite ground systems, Kratos serves the DoD and intelligence community with affordable, high-performance defense technology.

Recent Press
5 items
Contract·2025-11-12
Kratos Awarded $399M USAF Contract for XQ-58A Valkyrie Production
The US Air Force awarded Kratos a $399 million contract to produce additional XQ-58A Valkyrie autonomous combat drones for USAF and international partner testing, advancing the affordable attritable aircraft initiative.
Program·2025-09-08
Valkyrie Achieves First Autonomous Air Combat Maneuver Test
Kratos announced the XQ-58A Valkyrie successfully completed its first autonomous air-to-air combat maneuvering evaluation alongside an F-22, validating human-machine teaming concepts under USAF Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Financial·2025-08-05
Kratos Reports Record $1.1B Annual Revenue with 14% YoY Growth
Kratos Defense reported annual revenues of $1.1 billion for fiscal 2025, driven by strong growth in unmanned systems and satellite communications segments, with government services revenue up 18% year-over-year.
Contract·2025-06-22
US Navy Awards Kratos $280M BQM-177A Aerial Target Contract Extension
The US Navy extended its BQM-177A subsonic aerial target contract with Kratos for an additional five years valued at $280 million, covering production, sustainment, and fleet delivery of threat-representative aerial targets.
Partnership·2025-05-14
Kratos and L3Harris Partner on Next-Gen Electronic Warfare Payloads
Kratos and L3Harris Technologies announced a strategic teaming agreement to develop high-power microwave and electronic warfare payloads for unmanned platforms, combining Kratos SkyFire RF subsystems with L3Harris EW integration expertise.
Company History
10 milestones
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions founded in San Diego as WJ Communications, later rebranded following strategic acquisitions in defense electronics.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Organization Structure & Team

Org Chart
3,600 employees · Click a leader to explore their team
3,000 across 10 departments
Chief Executive Officer
Eric DeMarco
Deanna Lund — Departments
· 3000 people across 10 depts

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Financials, Revenue & Market Share

Annual Revenue
$1.1B
+14.2% vs prior year
YoY Growth
+14.2%
From $770M to $1.1B
Revenue / Employee
$278K
Annual revenue per full-time employee
Revenue Growth
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
$770M
$830M
$920M
$963M
$1.1B
Market Share
Affordable Attritable Unmanned Combat Aircraft
42%
share
Kratos Defense
42%
General Atomics
28%
AeroVironment
15%
Shield AI
8%
Others
7%
$85B
TAM
$18B
SAM
$3.2B
SOM
Revenue Streams
Unmanned Systems40%
Satellite Communications25%
Microwave Electronics20%
Cyber & Intelligence15%
Business Units
Kratos Unmanned Systems40%
Design, development, and production of tactical drones and unmanned combat aircraft for DoD programs.
Kratos Space & Satellite25%
Satellite ground systems, modems, and managed satellite communications services.
Kratos Microwave Products20%
Microwave and millimeter-wave components for radar, EW, and comms platforms.
Kratos Government Solutions15%
Cybersecurity, C2 systems, and training simulations for US intelligence and defense.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Internal Tools & Processes

Internal Tools
10 departments
Unmanned Systems Engineering420 people · 3 roles
Standards & Certifications
10 standards
Compliance frameworks, security audits, and quality certifications this company maintains.
Electromagnetic Compatibility
MIL-STD-461
Active
Requirements for the control of electromagnetic interference characteristics of subsystems and equipment used in DoD platforms.
Quality Management
AS9100D
Active
Aerospace quality management system standard governing design, development, and production of aerospace and defense products.
Software Certification
DO-178C
Active
Software considerations in airborne systems and equipment certification — governs safety-critical avionics software development.
Environmental Testing
MIL-STD-810H
Active
Environmental engineering considerations and laboratory tests for defense materiel, covering temperature, shock, vibration, and humidity.
Cybersecurity
CMMC Level 3
Active
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 3 — advanced cyber hygiene practices required for handling controlled unclassified information on DoD contracts.
Data Bus Interface
MIL-STD-1553
Active
Military standard for a serial data bus protocol used in aircraft and spacecraft avionics for communication between systems.
Export Control
ITAR
Active
International Traffic in Arms Regulations — controls the export and import of defense-related articles and services listed on the US Munitions List.
UAS Interoperability
STANAG 4586
Active
NATO standard for unmanned control system interoperability, enabling ground control stations to operate multiple UAS platforms across allied forces.
Information Security
ISO 27001
Active
International standard for information security management systems, ensuring systematic protection of sensitive customer and government data.
System Safety
MIL-STD-882E
Active
Standard practice for system safety — defines requirements for identifying, evaluating, and eliminating hazards throughout the system lifecycle.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Interview Preparation

Interview Prep
Role-specific interview questions and keywords. Select a department, then click any role to prepare.
Unmanned Systems Engineering· 3 roles

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Products & Competitors

Product Suite
5 products · select one to explore
Aerospace & Defense
Unmanned Systems
XQ-58A Valkyrie
Low-Cost Autonomous Combat Drone

The XQ-58A Valkyrie is a long-range, high-subsonic unmanned combat air vehicle designed for attritable, affordable air combat. It can carry internal weapons, deploy from austere locations, and operate autonomously alongside manned aircraft as a loyal wingman.

Use Cases
The US Air Force using XQ-58A Valkyrie as an Autonomous Collaborative Platform paired with an F-35, having the unmanned aircraft carry additional sensors and weapons into threat zones the manned aircraft avoids, extending the combat reach of the F-35 pilot without risking another crewed aircraftA test and evaluation organization flying XQ-58A on a series of formation flight demonstrations with manned fighters to validate the manned-unmanned teaming software stack that will underpin future collaborative combat aircraft doctrineA defense research lab using XQ-58A as a payload carrier for experimental sensor packages in an operationally relevant flight environment, taking advantage of the aircraft's low unit cost to accept attrition risk that would be unacceptable with a crewed test asset
No image
Key Customers
USAF
U.S. Air Force
DAR
DARPA
ARL
Air Force Research Laboratory
CCA
Collaborative Combat Aircraft program
Competitive Intelligence
VSBoeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat
THEM

Boeing Australia's loyal wingman combat drone developed for the Royal Australian Air Force to fly autonomously alongside crewed fighter aircraft

EDGE

XQ-58A's lower cost-per-unit allows USAF to field larger uncrewed wingman swarms; Boeing's Ghost Bat unit cost is significantly higher

VSAnduril Ghost
THEM

Anduril's autonomous combat drone designed for attritable ISR and strike missions, featuring in-house autonomy software on a purpose-built airframe

EDGE

Valkyrie's demonstrated F-22/F-35 teaming in actual flight tests gives it program evidence that Anduril Ghost is still accumulating

VSGeneral Atomics Avenger
THEM

General Atomics' jet-powered UAS designed for high-speed persistent ISR and strike operations, positioned as a survivable penetrating drone for contested environments

EDGE

XQ-58A's attritable design philosophy accepts lower unit survivability in exchange for 5-10x lower cost per aircraft than Avenger

VSShield AI V-BAT
THEM

Shield AI's vertical takeoff and landing drone using an autonomy stack to operate in GPS and communications-denied environments for tactical reconnaissance

EDGE

Valkyrie's long-range supersonic capability addresses peer-adversary threats that Shield AI's short-range tactical drones cannot counter

Related Companies

RTX logo
RTX
Aerospace & Defense
RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) is one of the world's largest aerospace and defense companies, delivering missiles, radar systems, jet engines, and advanced defense electronics to the U.S. military and allied governments. Its four segments — Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and Raytheon Intelligence & Space — operate across commercial aviation, defense electronics, and precision strike systems.
BAE Systems logo
BAE Systems
Aerospace & Defense
BAE Systems is a British multinational defense, security, and aerospace company that designs and manufactures combat aircraft, warships, armored vehicles, missiles, and electronic warfare systems. It is the largest defense contractor in Europe and serves customers across the US, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and over 40 allied nations.
Pratt & Whitney logo
Pratt & Whitney
Aerospace & Defense
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and service of aircraft engines for commercial airlines, military aircraft, and business aviation, powering more than 25% of the world's commercial aircraft fleet. A wholly-owned subsidiary of RTX Corporation, Pratt & Whitney produces the GTF Geared Turbofan engine family for narrow-body aircraft and the F135 engine powering the F-35 Lightning II.
GE Aerospace logo
GE Aerospace
Aerospace & Defense
GE Aerospace designs, manufactures, and services jet engines and propulsion systems for commercial and military aircraft, operating the world's largest installed base of aircraft engines with more than 44,000 engines in service globally. As an independent public company since April 2024 following the GE spin-off, GE Aerospace is the sole inheritor of GE's aviation legacy spanning over a century of propulsion innovation.
L3Harris Technologies logo
L3Harris Technologies
Aerospace & Defense
L3Harris Technologies is a global aerospace and defense technology company formed in 2019 from the merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corporation, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. It provides advanced defense electronics, communication systems, ISR solutions, and mission-critical technologies to the U.S. Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, and allied governments worldwide.
Teledyne Technologies logo
Teledyne Technologies
Aerospace & Defense
Teledyne Technologies is an American technology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, providing sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. The company serves government defense agencies, oil and gas operators, environmental monitoring agencies, and industrial customers worldwide.