Shield AI and Kratos use Firejet as a test
surrogate ahead of AI-piloted flights on Kratos Valkyrie
SAN
DIEGO, March 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shield AI,
Inc., a defense technology company building the world's best AI
pilot, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
(Nasdaq: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National
Security and Global Markets and an industry-leading provider
of high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial systems (UAS),
today announced the successful completion of the first phase of
Shield's AI-piloted flight-testing on-board Kratos platforms as the
two companies move toward productizing Shield AI's pilot for the
XQ-58 Valkyrie.
Having successfully flown AI pilots on five aircraft
— three classes of quadcopters, the MQ-35A V-BAT, and the F-16
in fully autonomous air combat training — Shield AI's Hivemind
AI pilot has now successfully flown on and controlled the Kratos
MQM-178 Firejet. These successful flights are a major milestone in
the comprehensive integration project as Shield AI and Kratos look
to ultimately productize another configuration of the Valkyrie, in
this case with Shield AI's Hivemind AI pilot.
"Our substantial investments in autonomy and AI design tools,
infrastructure, and pipelines are what enable Shield AI to rapidly
integrate Hivemind onto different classes of aircraft and most
importantly, fly them safely. We're getting faster and faster. It
was over three years from signing the contract to flying the F-16;
now, it's less than 180 days for the Kratos Firejet. The vision of
portable autonomy software for military hardware has been realized,
flown, and deployed by Shield AI," said Ryan Tseng, Shield AI's CEO and Co-Founder.
"AI pilots will eventually fly all aircraft and will have a
larger global impact than self-driving cars. The MQM-178 Firejet
marks the sixth type of aircraft that our AI pilot Hivemind has
flown. It is the second jet-powered aircraft after our AI piloted
F-16 dogfights. The AI-piloted XQ-58 Valkyrie flights later this
year will be the seventh aircraft and then the Kratos BQM-177 will
be the eighth. Kratos and Shield AI's joint focus on the rapid
development of AI-piloted aircraft has been a terrific
collaboration that is helping redefine military force structures,"
said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI's
President and Co-Founder and a former Navy SEAL.
The MQM-178 Firejet fills a variety of end-to-end
weapons-release training roles as a jet target aircraft system,
supporting surface-to-air and air-to-air engagements. Additionally,
the Tactical Firejet offers an offensive/defensive jet UAS system
in the sub $500K price range per
aircraft with substantial mission systems and performance
capabilities. In either mission configuration (target/tactical),
the Firejet delivers a high-speed, high-maneuverability,
low-signature solution for replicating threats or enabling
no-risk-to-American-life operational effectiveness with a level of
contested environment capability.
"The collaboration between Kratos and Shield AI over these past
months has been nothing short of exceptional and represents the
rapid development and testing possible when motivated commercial
technology companies work together with a common objective—being
first to market with relevant systems to support U.S. National
Security. Our joint efforts have brought together the best of both
worlds – Kratos' proven jet-powered uncrewed aircraft and Shield
AI's expertise in AI and software development. We're thrilled about
the progress we've made and even more excited to share further
breakthroughs in the near future," said Steve Fendley, President of Kratos' Unmanned
Systems Division.
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology
company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians
with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is
building the world's best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has
flown jets (F-16; MQM-178 Firejet), a vertical takeoff and landing
drone (MQ-35 V-BAT), and three quadcopters (Nova, Nova 2,
iPRD). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington
DC and abroad. Shield AI's products and people are currently
in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S.
Department of Defense and U.S. allies. For more information, visit
www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and
Instagram.
About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions,
Inc.
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, 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 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 31, 2023, and in subsequent reports on
Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by
Kratos.
Media Contact: Lily
Hinz, Media@shield.ai
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SOURCE Shield AI