Kratos to Manufacture Elroy Air Chaparral Autonomous Cargo Aircraft in Expanded California Facility

July 20, 2026

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets, today announced that it will manufacture Elroy Air’s Chaparral autonomous cargo aircraft in its expanding Sacramento, California production facility, supporting increasing demand across commercial logistics and defense markets while expecting to further grow its regional workforce of 450 high-tech employees by more than 50 as Chaparral production ramps.

The Chaparral is a hybrid-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) autonomous cargo aircraft designed to transport more than 500 pounds of payload with a maximum range of up to 450 miles without requiring traditional airport infrastructure. The system is designed to support commercial middle-mile logistics while also providing a flexible, autonomous resupply capability for military operations.

The announcement marks the transition from strategic manufacturing partner to production execution following Elroy Air’s recent announcement of its planned public listing and continued commercial momentum. Kratos is the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of the Chaparral aircraft and will fulfill all U.S. customer orders, with the first production aircraft planned for late 2026. Recent expansion of Kratos’ Sacramento manufacturing operations provides the production capacity necessary to support anticipated increases in aircraft deliveries.

Located within driving distance of Elroy Air’sheadquarters, the expanded Sacramento facility strengthens collaboration between the two companies while increasing manufacturing capacity for one of the industry’s most advanced autonomous cargo aircraft. The expansion will drive additional hiring across aircraft technicians, composite manufacturing specialists, assemblers, engineers, production operations, quality assurance, and program management positions, bringing Kratos’ Sacramento-area workforce to more than 500 employees.

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, said, “At Kratos, we have built our business around rapidly transitioning advanced unmanned aircraft from development into affordable, scalable production. Chaparral represents another example of Kratos leveraging its proven manufacturing capability, established supply chain, and experienced workforce to help bring an innovative aircraft into production at scale. As demand continues to build, our expanding Sacramento facility is well positioned to support both commercial and defense customers while creating additional high-value aerospace jobs in California.”

Dr. Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy Air, said, “Demand for Chaparral is accelerating across defense, rapid response and commercial logistics and meeting it requires manufacturing at scale. Partnering with Kratos lets us build American-made autonomous cargo drones right here in California, at the pace our customers need.”

Elroy Air recently announced a demand pipeline exceeding 1,400 aircraft representing more than $5 billion in potential revenue opportunities from leading logistics and aviation companies, including Bristow Group, Barq Group, SLI, and FedEx. The company has also supported defense programs with the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force for more than six years, demonstrating the growing dual-use market opportunity for the Chaparral platform. The company also recently announced plans to become a publicly traded company, positioning it to accelerate commercial-scale production.

Kratos continues to expand its national manufacturing footprint to meet increasing demand for affordable, mission-ready unmanned systems supporting U.S. and allied defense priorities, while enabling the production of innovative dual-use technologies serving both commercial and government customers.

Source : Kratos Defense & Security Solutions