Northrop Grumman to Rapidly Develop Marine Corps CCA with Kratos' Valkyrie UAS

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS), a leader in defense, national security and global markets, today announced that Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) was competitively awarded the U.S. Marine Corps' Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). This award combines Northrop Grumman's uncrewed capabilities and autonomous leadership with Kratos' Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system to work alongside crewed fighters to provide air dominance in high-threat environments. 

Northrop Grumman will develop and rapidly deliver platforms that include:

• Advanced Mission Kit: Northrop Grumman's cost-effective mission kit is inclusive of sensors and software-defined technologies designed specifically for uncrewed aircraft. The mission kit's flexible technology can perform various kinetic and non-kinetic effects, making the platform a combat-ready asset.
• Open Architecture Autonomy Software: Northrop Grumman's open architecture autonomy software package – known as Prism – will manage the aircraft's operations autonomously.
• Valkyrie Uncrewed Aerial System from Kratos Defense and Security Solutions: Fully equipped for a variety of missions that will include conventional takeoff and landing capabilities, enhanced runway flexibility with a modular airframe and payload bays for customizable effects.
  
  

This agile solution integrates Northrop Grumman's proven mission systems with Kratos' mature Valkyrie. (Photo Credit: U.S. Marine Corps)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9b85fff-eb05-4d27-a20b-38d91f791f17 

Experts:

Krys Moen, vice president, advanced mission capabilities, Northrop Grumman: "Northrop Grumman remains at the forefront of advanced sensing capabilities, delivering innovative solutions that meet the needs of the warfighter with unmatched speed and reliability. This enhanced capability set ensures optimal performance for both crewed and uncrewed platforms."

Steve Fendley, president Kratos Unmanned Systems Division: "The integration of the Kratos Valkyrie aircraft system configured with the world's best multifunction mission systems from Northrop Grumman results in a high-capability CCA at a price point that enables the uncrewed systems to be deployed in mass with crewed aircraft."

Details:

Northrop Grumman has packaged its sensors and other mission capabilities into a smaller envelope, resulting in a more cost-effective solution that is compatible with an uncrewed platform. Combining existing product lines and proven capabilities, Northrop Grumman, Kratos, and commercial partners developed a missionized CCA that includes survivability, connectivity, lethality and supportability elements. With more than 20 successful flight demonstrations in operationally relevant environments, Northrop Grumman and Kratos are offering the U.S. Marine Corps a low risk, expedited path to MUX TACAIR mission capability and persistent joint crewed and uncrewed expeditionary operations.

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers' mission critical needs and requirements. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos' approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions. We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low-cost future manufacturing which is a value add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers. Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos' comfort level. Kratos' primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, advanced vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter. For more information, visit www.KratosDefense.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 29, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.

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Claire Cantrell

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