The company announced the groundbreaking on October 14, marking the occasion with a ceremony at Westgate Academy in Odon. The facilities are backed by $35 million through the Department of War’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, alongside Kratos cost-sharing.
The Indiana Radar Integration Complex, or IRIC, will cover approximately 183,000 square feet. It will provide repair, testing, integration and sustainment capabilities for the Navy’s AN/SPY-1 radar system.
Kratos said the facility would help improve fleet readiness, reduce sustainment bottlenecks and increase surge capacity. The infrastructure and workforce will also be able to support legacy and next-generation radar systems.
“The groundbreaking of the IRIC and Helios facilities furthers Kratos’ support to the U.S. Armed Forces,” said Dave Carter, president of Kratos Defense and Rocket Support Services. “By bringing together advanced radar sustainment and cutting-edge hypersonic material testing under one strategic umbrella, we are addressing critical readiness bottlenecks.”
The Helios Arc Jet & Laser Facility will combine a 20–25-megawatt arc jet capability with a 200-kilowatt fiber laser system. It is designed to expand testing infrastructure for thermal-protection systems used in hypersonic vehicles.
Kratos said the facility would bridge the gap between lower-fidelity screening methods and large-scale arc jet installations at government test sites. That would give hypersonic and strategic defense programs more opportunities to evaluate materials.
Helios will also support directed-energy technologies for integrated air and missile defense, counter-drone operations and force protection. The company identified high-energy laser solutions as part of that work.
The two complexes will expand Kratos’ engineering, integration, testing and manufacturing capacity. The company described them as part of its investment in developing capabilities for U.S. military requirements.
“Kratos is making deliberate internal investments to rapidly develop and field advanced capabilities our warfighters require against peer adversaries,” said Eric DeMarco, president and chief executive of Kratos. “The new IRIC and Helios facilities are prime examples of how we approach commercial investment in national security to be first to market with proven, cost-effective capabilities.”
