Kratos Unmanned Systems Division Self-Driving Truck Leader Follower Platoon Fleet to Be Deployed in Ohio and Indiana
March 12 2024 - 8:00AM
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a
Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global
Markets, announced today that it will be deploying self-driving
Class 8 tractor/trailers in a Leader Follower Platoon hauling
customer freight shipments along revenue generating routes in Ohio
and Indiana.
The Kratos Unmanned Systems Division is under
contract to deploy its self-driving platooning technology later
this year between Ohio and Indiana along a major trucking corridor.
Teamed with EASE Logistics, a third-party logistics (3PL) company
that provides services to automotive, aerospace, food &
beverage, and major manufacturing companies, the Leader Follower
Platoon will be a first-of-its kind deployment to address driver
shortage impacts by enabling business continuity when qualified
drivers are unavailable.
The leader and follower trucks were provided by
EASE Logistics who will also provide a highly qualified driver for
the leader truck and a Safety Rider onboard the self-driving
follower truck who can take over manual driving control at any
time. The trucks were retrofitted by Kratos with self-driving
technology to enable the Leader Follower Platooning operation. The
system will be integrated as part of normal 24/7 supply chain
activity hauling freight in 53-foot dry van trailers on short-haul
routes for round-trip totals of 450 to 500 miles.
Leader Follower Platoon Fleet
A photo accompanying this announcement is
available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/581219fd-129c-4d43-b821-0ae86d5e11ed
Maynard Factor, VP of Business
Development for the Kratos Unmanned Systems Division,
said, “Kratos is excited to team with EASE Logistics to
support this landmark Leader Follower
Platoon deployment establishing the baseline for how
driverless technology can be deployed in a game-changing
configuration. The Leader Follower Platoon is a great
adaptation of driverless vehicle technology that maintains driver
jobs by pairing a human-driven truck with a self-driving follower
truck to maintain or increase haul capacity depending on the
available driver pool. Supply chain security is national security
and using the Kratos Leader Follower Platoon is a solution that can
strengthen a company’s ability to maintain jobs and secure supply
chain activity as a win-win.”
The Leader Follower Platoon consists of a
human-driven Leader truck transmitting navigation and command data
to a Follower truck enabled with self-driving technology. The
technology enabling the deployment was adapted from systems Kratos
originally developed for the U.S. Department of Defense leveraging
proven architectures, advanced cyber security, and robust
environmental hardening. The Leader Follower Platoon will be
deployed with drivers from EASE Logistics who have completed an
extensive and comprehensive training program conducted by
Kratos.
Peter Coratola, Jr., President & CEO
of EASE Logistics, said, “EASE is honored to serve as
Kratos’ fleet partner for this groundbreaking deployment in
partnership. We recognize this opportunity as an important step
toward shoring up the supply chain, which is a critical component
of national security. We look forward to collecting and providing
data that will enable this crucial innovation to be deployed across
the U.S.”
About Kratos Defense & Security
SolutionsKratos 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, hypersonic 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
StatementsCertain 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
31, 2023, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other
filings made with the SEC by Kratos.
Kratos Press Contact:Yolanda White858-812-7302
Direct
Kratos Investor
Information:877-934-4687investor@kratosdefense.com
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