Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) announced the successful demonstration of electronic warfare capabilities by its Valkyrie drone during a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) test in southern California.
The Group 5 unmanned jet aircraft system, designated MUX TACAIR Valkyrie Air Vehicle, executed a runway-independent launch, transitioned to a Marine Corps operator-controlled beyond-line-of-sight datalink, and flew alongside Marine Corps F-35s and an F/A-18. The test, conducted in April 2026, validated electronic warfare functions and human-machine interface integration developed by Autonodyne LLC.
The integrated test team included the Expeditionary Maritime Aviation-Advanced Development Team, Marine Corps operational test squadron, Naval Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons, Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Autonodyne LLC. Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, noted the test represented the fourth new mission system configuration flown on Marine Corps Valkyrie platforms in less than three years.
Kratos also disclosed production targets of more than 150 Group 5 unmanned jet aircraft systems for 2026, with annual production scaling toward approximately 40 Valkyries. The company and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems received the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Unmanned Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft contract in January 2026, with the first prototype MUX TACAIR Valkyrie Air Vehicle scheduled for completion in summer 2026.
