Defense technology leader Kratos has secured a contract for up to $1.45 billion with the Pentagon to develop a hypersonic technology testbed. Announced today, this initiative, known as MACH-TB 2.0, aims to enhance the United States' capabilities in hypersonic technology through rapid, affordable testing.

Michael Johns, Senior Vice President at Kratos SRE, commented, "We are honored to join the MACH-TB 2.0 integrated team. At this crucial time, there's a pressing national requirement for accelerated, cost-effective hypersonic flight testing to swiftly advance and deploy critical technologies. The MACH-TB program is poised to address these needs effectively."

Amid efforts to match and surpass international rivals, the Pentagon is keen to close the gap with countries like Russia and China, both of whom have already deployed operational hypersonic weapons systems.

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Contract scope and collaboration

Kratos has been awarded a substantial five-year Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract to spearhead the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 under Task Area 1 of the initiative.

With a potential value of $1.45 billion, the contract facilitates the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) in advancing the National Hypersonic Initiative 2.0. The MACH-TB program is designed to serve as an affordable platform bridging hypersonic ground tests and full-scale system-level flight tests, thereby minimizing development risks and accelerating the delivery of new technologies to defense forces.

Kratos leads a consortium including prominent defense contractors such as Leidos and Rocket Lab, aiming to streamline the testing of hypersonic technologies. The CEO of Kratos emphasized, "This programmatic milestone reaffirms our commitment to prioritize significant investments in the development of mission-critical, economical solutions that adapt to the evolving demands of modern warfare."

Task Area 1, predominantly managed by Kratos, focuses on systems engineering, integration, and testing (SEIT). This includes integrated subscale, full-scale, and air launch services to boost the frequency and reduce the costs of hypersonic flight tests.

The program, initially started by the US Navy, now encompasses multiple task areas, though details about the awards for the remaining task areas are still under wraps.

Expanding hypersonic testing capabilities

Challenges stemming from inadequate testing infrastructures have historically hampered U.S. hypersonic development efforts. The MACH-TB initiative is specifically designed to address this by significantly enhancing the testing capacity available to Department of Defense (DoD) entities.

The program supports the deployment of advanced flying testbeds that facilitate the assessment of hypersonic subsystems under operational conditions, specifically, at velocities surpassing Mach 5.

Achieving speeds greater than Mach 5, combined with high maneuverability, will complicate interception by conventional air defense systems. This makes hypersonic technologies extremely valuable in modern warfare. In a related advancement, Taiwan has reportedly developed a new hypersonic missile, the Qingtian, capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 6.

The urgency of these efforts was highlighted by a recent successful test of a joint Army-Navy hypersonic missile, suggesting progress toward achieving parity among rival nations. Concurrently, the Air Force is advancing its hypersonic projects, signaling an overall acceleration in the U.S. hypersonic arms development.

Reflecting on Kratos’s prominent role in this sector, Dave Carter, President of Kratos Defense and Rocket Support Services Division, remarked, "With the recent successes of our low-cost Erinyes Hypersonic Flyer and Zeus Solid Rocket Motors, Kratos has cemented its leadership in the testing and deployment of hypersonic systems. We are thrilled to leverage this unmatched expertise in the MACH-TB 2.0 program."

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