Kratos Defence & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is celebrating 25 years of its Oriole solid rocket motor (SRM), a proven system with a flawless 100 percent success record across 80 missions since its first flight in 1999. Developed to support both scientific and Department of Defence testing, the Oriole SRM has become a cornerstone of Kratos’ innovation in rocket and hypersonic systems.
First launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in 2000, the Oriole has demonstrated exceptional versatility and reliability, operating as both a second and third stage in nine different launch vehicle configurations across more than 60 flights.
Manufactured to Kratos specifications by Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation at the Alleghany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, production of the Oriole has surpassed 100 units, with additional systems now in development.
In 2005, the U.S. Navy selected Oriole as the principal stage for the Aegis Readiness Assessment Vehicle Type B (ARAV B) ballistic missile target. Since then, the system has successfully completed over 40 missions simulating ballistic missile threats for tracking and interception by U.S. and allied naval forces. Oriole has also played a key role in NASA’s sounding rocket programme, advancing numerous scientific research projects.
Kratos expanded Oriole’s capability further in 2012 with the introduction of a Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system, enabling precise trajectory performance for ballistic missile defence missions. The enhanced system has already completed four successful missions with pinpoint accuracy.
The Oriole has proven its global launch adaptability, performing missions from diverse sites including Kwajalein Atoll, Wake Island, the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Poker Flat Research Range, NASA Wallops, Hebrides Range in Scotland, Andøya in Norway, and Biscarrosse in France.
The system has been instrumental in hypersonic flight testing, delivering 10 high-speed experimental missions when paired with Terrier MK-70 stages. The MK-70 Oriole configuration can reach speeds up to Mach 9 for more than four minutes, providing essential data for hypersonic research.
Building on this success, Kratos is expanding production of both its Oriole and next-generation Zeus rocket motors to meet growing demand for missile defence, hypersonic testing, and scientific applications. The company recently secured a contract for 60 Oriole units to be delivered over the next three years.
Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, stated: “Kratos’ Oriole SRM is a gold standard in reliable, affordable, and relevant launch systems for the United States and its allies. Our rocket and hypersonic systems team continues to deliver real-world capabilities, not concepts, and I believe this business will become a future multi-billion-dollar franchise for Kratos.”
SOURCE AND IMAGE: KRATOS DEFENCE
