Kratos Defense begins building IPIF in Crane, Indiana to support MACH-TB

Kratos Defense (KTOS) & Security Solutions announced the groundbreaking of Kratos’ Hypersonic System Indiana Payload Integration Facility IPIF in Crane, Indiana. This state-of-the-art 68,000-square-foot office, laboratory, integration and test complex will support critical hypersonic vehicle and payload activities and systems for the Multi-Service Advanced Capabilities Hypersonic Testbed, MACH-TB, program. The project demonstrates Kratos’ commitment to advancing hypersonic system payload integration and test capabilities and expanding crucial infrastructure needed to accelerate the time to Mach 5+ flight testing.With an investment in construction and equipment estimated to exceed $50M, the Kratos IPIF is being designed for rapid, affordable preparation of experimental payloads to significantly boost the tempo of flight testing for next-generation hypersonic systems and technologies and to accelerate the development of advanced weapons systems. The facility is expected to create over 100 high-tech jobs, with an estimated average annual wage of $80,000+. IPIF operational readiness is expected by the end of 2026. The hypersonic system IPIF expands Kratos’ footprint in Indiana and complements the recently announced agreement with Kratos and RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., launching Prometheus Energetics , a new U.S.-based merchant supplier of Solid Rocket Motors, SRMs and other energetics with Prometheus headquarters and production campus located on an approximate 550-acre site in Bloomfield, Indiana, at ACMI’s National Security Industrial Hub or NSIH.