Kacey Roberts
The U.S. Navy has awarded Kratos Defense & Security Solutions a nine-month, $15.5 million contract to manufacture and deliver two XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial systems.
The drones will be equipped with sensor and weapon system payloads that support penetrating affordable autonomous collaborative killer objectives, the Defense Department said Friday.
Kratos’ unmanned aerial systems unit will receive the full amount at the time of award from the service branch’s fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds.
The company will perform work in Sacramento, California through September 2023.
Kratos and the Air Force Research Laboratory previously co-developed the Valkyrie as part of the latter’s Autonomous Collaborative Enabling Technologies portfolio, which seeks to develop a Collaborative Combat Aircraft and other autonomous platforms.
