Kratos completes J85 engine flight tests across three launch types

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) announced successful flight tests of its TDI-J85 turbojet engine across three deployment configurations: lugged launch, palletized launch, and surface-to-surface applications, according to a company press release dated Oct. 12, 2026.

The lugged launch tests demonstrated integration with rail or zero-length launchers, palletized launch tests validated compatibility with cargo-aircraft-deployed rapid-launch systems, and surface-to-surface tests confirmed rapid-start performance for containerized munition applications.

Joseph Kovasity, Senior Vice President of Kratos TDI, said the flight tests across multiple deployment methods validate the engine's versatility, adding that the company has placed a 3,000-engine component order for 2027 production and is targeting output of 10,000 or more engines annually by 2029.

The company said its Spartan engine manufacturing facility is fully operational. The J85 engine is designed for use in low-cost cruise missiles, decoys, and unmanned aerial systems.

Eric DeMarco, Kratos President and CEO, said the Spartan engine family reflects the company's strategy of making internal investments to deliver defense products "at the right time, with the key performance, and in the high quantities demanded to rebuild the U.S. defense inventory."

Kratos said the scaling effort is intended to address demand from the Department of War for high-volume, low-cost propulsion systems.

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