Defense technology company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has been awarded a contract worth up to $1.45 billion by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to develop and manage a hypersonic technology testbed under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) 2.0 program.
The five-year contract represents the largest in Kratos’ history and is part of the Pentagon’s ongoing efforts to advance hypersonic technology and testing capabilities.
The MACH-TB 2.0 initiative aims to bridge the gap between ground-based hypersonic testing and full-scale system-level flight tests, addressing longstanding challenges in the development of hypersonic weapons.
Kratos, as the prime contractor, will lead a team that includes Leidos, Rocket Lab, Purdue University, and other partners. The company’s role involves systems engineering, integration, and testing, including subscale and full-scale air launch services to support a faster and more cost-effective testing cadence.
“Kratos is honored to receive the largest contract award in our company’s history,” said Kratos CEO Eric DeMarco. Senior Vice President Michael Johns added: “This program addresses a pressing national requirement for accelerated, cost-effective hypersonic flight testing.”
The Pentagon’s investment in MACH-TB comes as the United States works to close the gap with global competitors like Russia and China, both of whom have operational hypersonic weapons systems.
