Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. KTOS continues to strengthen its position in defense propulsion technologies through the expansion of its Spartan turbojet engine production capabilities. On June 9, 2026, the company announced plans to significantly increase manufacturing capacity for its Spartan engine family to support growing demand across missile, loitering munition and autonomous system programs. Kratos expects to scale output to approximately 3,000 engines next year, reflecting increasing requirements for affordable, high-performance propulsion systems across modern defense applications.
The Spartan family is a key part of Kratos’ defense technology portfolio, offering military-grade turbojet engines that combine operational performance, affordability and production scalability. Manufactured entirely in the United States, these engines support a range of precision-strike and unmanned platforms while strengthening domestic propulsion capabilities. As demand grows for cost-effective weapons systems, the ability to produce turbojet engines at scale is becoming increasingly important.
To support the planned production ramp-up, Kratos has invested in long-lead materials and supply-chain readiness. These efforts are designed to enhance manufacturing preparedness, reduce delivery timelines and help the company meet rising customer demand. The strategy also provides greater production flexibility as requirements evolve across multiple defense programs.
The expansion aligns with Kratos’ broader focus on advanced propulsion technologies and high-performance defense systems. The company identifies turbine technologies, rocket systems and hypersonic-related capabilities among its strategic technology priorities, highlighting the growing importance of propulsion expertise across its portfolio. Continued investment in turbojet engine production could help Kratos strengthen its role in supporting next-generation missile and autonomous defense programs.
Companies Expanding Defense Propulsion Capabilities
Growing demand for missiles, unmanned systems and precision-strike platforms continues to support investments in turbojet engine technologies across the defense sector. Companies like RTX Corporation RTX and Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC are also involved in developing propulsion technologies supporting advanced defense systems.
RTX, through its Pratt & Whitney business, develops propulsion technologies for military aircraft, missiles and next-generation defense platforms while continuing to expand manufacturing capacity across critical engine programs.
Northrop Grumman supports missile and strategic defense programs through advanced propulsion technologies that power a variety of tactical, hypersonic and next-generation defense applications.
Earnings Estimates for KTOS Stock
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share suggests year-over-year growth of 32.73% and 41.29%, respectively.
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KTOS Stock Trading at a Discount
Kratos Defense is trading at a discount relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-sales of 5.59X compared with the industry average of 12.29X.
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KTOS Stock Price Performance
Over the past year, Kratos Defense shares have rallied 39.1% compared with the industry’s 19.6% growth.
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KTOS’ Zacks Rank
Kratos currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).