Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
American defense technology company focused on unmanned systems, military electronics, rocket and jet propulsion, satellite communications, and advanced weapons systems.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is an American defense technology company headquartered in San Diego, California. Its business is centered on products and engineering services for the United States government, especially the Department of Defense, while also serving foreign governments, commercial enterprises, and state and local agencies. The company is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker KTOS. The business began as Wireless Facilities Incorporated, or WFI, with an initial focus on constructing and supporting telecommunications infrastructure and networks. During the 2000s, it increasingly oriented its activities toward government and defense work. From 2004 through 2009, the company acquired a series of federal-services, engineering, information-technology, public-safety, and communications businesses. These transactions broadened its capabilities from telecommunications support into government outsourcing, network operations, systems engineering, program management, information assurance, and military communications. The corporate name was changed to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in September 2007, reflecting the company's repositioning toward defense and security markets. A major expansion occurred through the 2011 merger with Integral Systems. Integral Systems supplied satellite and aerospace data-handling, telemetry, signal-processing, communications-management, and related engineering capabilities. Its businesses included RT Logic, Lumistar, Newpoint Technologies, SAT Corporation, and other subsidiaries serving military, government, commercial satellite, and aerospace customers. This combination gave Kratos a stronger presence in space-related ground systems and communications infrastructure. Kratos has subsequently emphasized defense products that combine relatively low cost, rapid development, autonomy, propulsion, networking, and distributed operations. Its portfolio includes unmanned aerial vehicles and target drones, tactical and expendable aircraft, missile and rocket components, jet engines, electronic warfare and military electronics, satellite communications systems, and directed-energy technologies. Products associated with the company include the XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft, the BQM-167 Skeeter aerial target, the Off-Board Sensing Station drone concept, the Clone Ranger unmanned aircraft concept, the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System, and propulsion products supplied for advanced weapons programs. Acquisitions have remained central to the company's technical strategy. In February 2019, Kratos acquired Florida Turbine Technologies, expanding its aerospace propulsion and turbine-engine capabilities. In February 2020, it acquired Technical Directions Inc., a Detroit-based manufacturer of small turbojet engines. TDI engines have been associated with programs such as the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Gray Wolf low-cost cruise-missile effort and earlier low-cost missile research. These propulsion activities support Kratos's broader interest in affordable, high-speed, attritable, and potentially networked defense systems. The company has participated in a broader Pentagon effort to draw advanced defense technologies from commercial and Silicon Valley-style innovation ecosystems. Its strategic identity is therefore different from that of a traditional prime contractor focused mainly on large, long-duration platforms. Kratos presents itself as a supplier of specialized systems and subsystems intended to shorten development cycles and reduce the cost of experimentation, testing, training, and operational deployment. Its activities span manufacturing, research and development, integration, and government contracting. The company remains active, although specific business segments, leadership, contract awards, and product statuses can change over time.
History
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions originated as Wireless Facilities Incorporated, a telecommunications infrastructure company known as WFI. Its early business involved building and supporting communications networks. By 2004, a substantial portion of its activity was directed toward the United States government, particularly the Department of Defense. Between 2004 and 2009, WFI pursued a federal-services acquisition strategy. It acquired or incorporated businesses involved in communications systems engineering, network outsourcing, information technology, public-safety systems, program management, government outsourcing, and wireless communications. Mentioned businesses included High Technology Solutions, Madison Research, Haverstick Consulting, SYS Technologies, and Digital Fusion. These additions shifted the company away from a narrow telecommunications-infrastructure identity and toward a broader government technology and security platform. In September 2007, the company changed its name to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The new identity reflected its concentration on defense and security customers and its expanding portfolio of engineering and technology businesses. On July 27, 2011, Kratos merged with Integral Systems. Integral Systems supplied systems for processing and distributing data from space- and ground-based platforms, serving military, government, commercial satellite, and aerospace customers. Its broader group included businesses associated with telemetry, signal processing, communications infrastructure management, satellite communications, and related engineering. The merger extended Kratos into space-ground infrastructure and reinforced its systems-integration capabilities. Kratos later focused increasingly on specialized defense products and advanced manufacturing. Its portfolio developed around unmanned aircraft, aerial targets, propulsion, missile systems, military electronics, electronic warfare, satellite communications, and directed energy. The company has been associated with the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the BQM-167 Skeeter, the Off-Board Sensing Station concept, the Clone Ranger unmanned aircraft concept, and the AN/SEQ-3 laser weapon system. In February 2019, Kratos acquired Florida Turbine Technologies, adding further turbine and propulsion expertise. On February 24, 2020, it acquired Technical Directions Inc., a Detroit manufacturer of small turbojet engines. TDI propulsion has been linked to U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory programs, including the Gray Wolf low-cost cruise missile effort. The engines' compact design and operating characteristics fit Kratos's interest in affordable, high-speed, expendable, and potentially networked systems. The company's recent direction has been shaped by defense customers seeking lower-cost experimentation and deployable capability alongside traditional major platforms. Kratos has therefore occupied a niche between a conventional engineering contractor, a defense electronics supplier, and an advanced aerospace manufacturer. Its work supports government research, testing, training, communications, autonomy, propulsion, and weapons development. The company continues to operate as a public American defense technology business, but detailed product availability and organizational structures may change as contracts, programs, and acquisitions develop.
- 2020
Technical Directions Inc. acquisition
[1]The acquisition brings a small turbojet-engine manufacturer into Kratos's propulsion business.
- 2019
Florida Turbine Technologies acquisition
[1]Kratos expands its aerospace propulsion and turbine-engine portfolio through the purchase of Florida Turbine Technologies.
- 2011
Integral Systems merger
[1]Kratos combines with Integral Systems, adding satellite, telemetry, signal-processing, and space communications capabilities.
- 2007
Corporate name becomes Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
[1]The name change formalizes the company's shift toward defense, security, engineering, and government technology markets.
- 2004
Government and defense work becomes central
[1]The company primarily serves the United States government, with the Department of Defense representing an important customer group.
Company is established as Wireless Facilities Incorporated
[1]The business begins as a telecommunications infrastructure and network-support company under the Wireless Facilities Incorporated name.
Products and positioning
Defense technology company emphasizing affordable, rapidly developed, networked, autonomous, and expendable systems for government and military customers.
Unmanned combat aircraft
XQ-58A Valkyrie
The XQ-58A Valkyrie is an unmanned aircraft associated with the U.S. Air Force's effort to develop relatively affordable, autonomous, and potentially attritable aircraft. It represents Kratos's role in advanced unmanned-aircraft development and the company's emphasis on pairing lower-cost air vehicles with networked and distributed military operations.
Aerial target drone
BQM-167 Skeeter
The BQM-167 Skeeter is a high-performance unmanned aerial target used to support weapons testing, evaluation, and training. It illustrates Kratos's long-standing role in target systems and test infrastructure, where reusable or expendable aircraft replicate challenging threat characteristics for military customers.
Directed-energy weapon
AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System
The AN/SEQ-3 is a shipboard laser weapon system associated with Kratos's directed-energy and military-electronics activities. Such systems combine high-energy laser equipment, tracking, control, power, and platform integration. The offering reflects the company's participation in emerging defense technologies rather than only conventional aircraft or missile hardware.
Aerospace propulsion
Technical Directions Inc. turbojet engines
Technical Directions Inc. designs compact turbojet engines for high-speed unmanned aircraft and missile applications. The engines acquired by Kratos have been associated with low-cost cruise-missile research, including the Gray Wolf program. Their operating envelope and simplified support characteristics fit applications where low acquisition cost, compact packaging, and expendability are important.
Unmanned sensing system
Off-Board Sensing Station
The Off-Board Sensing Station, also referred to as Demogorgon in supplied reference material, is an unmanned sensing concept intended to extend situational awareness beyond a primary platform. It represents Kratos's interest in distributed sensors, autonomous systems, and networked military architectures.
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
Clone Ranger
Clone Ranger is an unmanned-aircraft concept associated with Kratos's work on autonomous and optionally expendable military aircraft. The concept fits the company's broader focus on distributed operations, advanced autonomy, and lower-cost aircraft that can complement crewed platforms.
Cruise missile concept
Ragnarök
Ragnarök is identified in reference material as a long-range cruise-missile product or concept associated with Kratos. Publicly available source detail in the supplied material is limited, so its precise development status, customer, and operational use cannot be confirmed here.
Brand decisions
2020
Acquire Technical Directions Inc.M&ABackground
Small turbojet engines support Kratos's strategy in low-cost cruise missiles, unmanned aircraft, and other high-speed defense systems.
Action taken
Kratos acquired Technical Directions Inc. on February 24, 2020.
Aftermath
Kratos added in-house small-engine manufacturing and engineering capabilities, including technologies linked to the Gray Wolf program.
2019
Acquire Florida Turbine TechnologiesM&ABackground
Kratos identified aerospace propulsion and turbine engineering as important complements to its unmanned-aircraft and weapons portfolio.
Action taken
The company purchased Florida Turbine Technologies in February 2019.
Aftermath
The transaction strengthened Kratos's turbine and propulsion activities.
2011
Merge with Integral SystemsM&ABackground
Kratos sought to expand beyond federal services and defense engineering into space, satellite communications, telemetry, and data-handling technologies.
Action taken
Kratos merged with Integral Systems on July 27, 2011.
Aftermath
The combined company gained additional satellite, aerospace communications, signal-processing, and space-ground systems capabilities.
2007
Rebrand around defense and securityStrategyBackground
The former Wireless Facilities Incorporated business had expanded through government-services and defense-related acquisitions and no longer fit a telecommunications-infrastructure-only identity.
Action taken
The company changed its name to Kratos Defense & Security Solutions in September 2007.
Aftermath
The new name positioned the company for a broader defense, security, engineering, and government-technology role.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Kratos acquires 5-D Systems[3]
Reported:
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions acquired 5-D Systems, which will become part of Kratos' Unmanned Systems Division and function as its Systems Engineering hub.
Sources3 sources
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