Kratos Expands Deployment of Automated Truck Platooning Technology in Ohio and Indiana in Partnership with DriveOhio, INDOT, and EASE Logistics
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) has expanded its automated truck platooning systems deployment in Ohio and Indiana, building on its March 2024 contract. The initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, DriveOhio, and INDOT, focuses on I-70 corridor operations.
The company has adapted its military-developed automated truck platooning technology for commercial logistics, agriculture, energy, and mining sectors. The Leader-Follower platooning system, featuring a human-driven lead truck paired with an automated follower, has been successfully deployed across multiple U.S. states and the U.K.
This technology addresses the national truck driver shortage while enhancing safety through fatigue-free operation. The system maintains effectiveness in GPS-denied or harsh environments, important for remote military and logistics operations.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) ha ampliato la distribuzione dei suoi sistemi automatizzati di convoglio di camion in Ohio e Indiana, basandosi sul contratto di marzo 2024. L'iniziativa, supportata dal Dipartimento dei Trasporti degli Stati Uniti, DriveOhio e INDOT, si concentra sulle operazioni nel corridoio I-70.
L'azienda ha adattato la sua tecnologia di convoglio automatizzato, sviluppata per uso militare, ai settori della logistica commerciale, agricoltura, energia e minerario. Il sistema Leader-Follower, che prevede un camion guidato da un conducente umano seguito da un camion automatizzato, è stato implementato con successo in diversi stati USA e nel Regno Unito.
Questa tecnologia risponde alla carenza nazionale di autisti di camion, migliorando la sicurezza grazie a un funzionamento senza affaticamento. Il sistema mantiene la sua efficacia anche in ambienti privi di GPS o difficili, fondamentale per operazioni militari e logistiche in aree remote.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) ha ampliado el despliegue de sus sistemas automatizados de pelotón de camiones en Ohio e Indiana, basándose en su contrato de marzo de 2024. La iniciativa, respaldada por el Departamento de Transporte de EE.UU., DriveOhio e INDOT, se centra en las operaciones del corredor I-70.
La compañía ha adaptado su tecnología de pelotón automatizado de camiones desarrollada para uso militar a los sectores de logística comercial, agricultura, energía y minería. El sistema Leader-Follower, que consiste en un camión líder conducido por una persona y un seguidor automatizado, se ha desplegado con éxito en varios estados de EE.UU. y en el Reino Unido.
Esta tecnología aborda la escasez nacional de conductores de camiones y mejora la seguridad mediante una operación sin fatiga. El sistema mantiene su eficacia en entornos sin GPS o difíciles, lo cual es crucial para operaciones militares y logísticas en zonas remotas.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS)는 2024년 3월 계약을 바탕으로 오하이오주와 인디애나주에서 자동화 트럭 플래투닝 시스템 배치를 확대했습니다. 이 이니셔티브는 미국 교통부, DriveOhio, INDOT의 지원을 받으며 I-70 코리더 운영에 중점을 두고 있습니다.
회사는 군사용으로 개발된 자동화 트럭 플래투닝 기술을 상업 물류, 농업, 에너지 및 광업 분야에 맞게 조정했습니다. 리더-팔로워 플래투닝 시스템은 인간이 운전하는 선도 트럭과 자동화된 추종 트럭으로 구성되어 있으며, 미국 여러 주와 영국에서 성공적으로 배치되었습니다.
이 기술은 국가적인 트럭 운전자 부족 문제를 해결하는 동시에 피로 없는 운행으로 안전성을 향상시킵니다. 또한 GPS 신호가 차단되거나 열악한 환경에서도 효과를 유지하여 원격 군사 및 물류 작전에 중요합니다.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ : KTOS) a étendu le déploiement de ses systèmes automatisés de convoi de camions dans l'Ohio et l'Indiana, s'appuyant sur un contrat de mars 2024. Cette initiative, soutenue par le Département des Transports des États-Unis, DriveOhio et INDOT, se concentre sur les opérations dans le corridor I-70.
L'entreprise a adapté sa technologie de convoi automatisé développée pour le militaire aux secteurs de la logistique commerciale, de l'agriculture, de l'énergie et de l'exploitation minière. Le système Leader-Follower, composé d'un camion pilote conduit par un humain accompagné d'un suiveur automatisé, a été déployé avec succès dans plusieurs États américains et au Royaume-Uni.
Cette technologie répond à la pénurie nationale de conducteurs de camions tout en améliorant la sécurité grâce à une conduite sans fatigue. Le système reste efficace même dans des environnements sans GPS ou difficiles, ce qui est essentiel pour les opérations militaires et logistiques en zones reculées.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ: KTOS) hat die Einführung seiner automatisierten Lkw-Platooning-Systeme in Ohio und Indiana erweitert und baut damit auf einem Vertrag vom März 2024 auf. Die Initiative wird vom US-Verkehrsministerium, DriveOhio und INDOT unterstützt und konzentriert sich auf den I-70-Korridor.
Das Unternehmen hat seine ursprünglich für militärische Zwecke entwickelte automatisierte Lkw-Platooning-Technologie für die Bereiche kommerzielle Logistik, Landwirtschaft, Energie und Bergbau angepasst. Das Leader-Follower-Platooning-System, bei dem ein menschlich gesteuerter Führungs-Lkw von einem automatisierten Folge-Lkw begleitet wird, wurde bereits erfolgreich in mehreren US-Bundesstaaten und im Vereinigten Königreich eingesetzt.
Diese Technologie begegnet dem nationalen Fahrermangel und verbessert die Sicherheit durch ermüdungsfreies Fahren. Das System bleibt auch in GPS-gestörten oder widrigen Umgebungen effektiv, was für entfernte militärische und logistische Einsätze von großer Bedeutung ist.
- Successful expansion of automated truck platooning technology to new markets
- Technology addresses critical national truck driver shortage
- Wide deployment across multiple U.S. states and the U.K. demonstrates market acceptance
- Potential for reduced insurance costs through improved safety and predictability
- Dual-use technology leveraging military development for commercial applications
- None.
Insights
Kratos expands commercial applications of military tech through autonomous truck deployments, demonstrating their dual-use strategy in action.
Kratos has successfully expanded the deployment of its automated truck platooning technology in Ohio and Indiana, building on their March 2024 announcement. This deployment along the I-70 corridor represents concrete progress in adapting military-developed autonomous technology for commercial logistics applications.
The technology employs a Leader-Follower system where a human driver leads while automated trucks follow - a pragmatic approach balancing automation with human oversight. What's particularly notable is the breadth of existing deployment across 11 states including California, Florida, Tennessee and others, showing this isn't merely experimental but achieving operational status.
This initiative aligns with Kratos' stated strategy of leveraging dual-use technologies originally developed for defense into commercial applications. The company is effectively amortizing R&D investments across both sectors, potentially enhancing return on development costs.
From a technological standpoint, the ability to operate in "GPS-denied or harsh environments" demonstrates capabilities beyond basic autonomous driving. The involvement of transportation departments from multiple states and the U.S. Department of Transportation signals regulatory engagement, an essential component for broader adoption.
Automated truck platooning addresses driver shortages and safety concerns while offering a practical middle-ground between conventional and fully autonomous trucking.
Kratos' expanded deployment addresses two critical challenges facing the logistics industry. First, the national truck driver shortage that constrains supply chain capacity. By enabling one driver to effectively control multiple vehicles through platooning, this technology could improve resource utilization without requiring full autonomy.
Second, the safety enhancement potential is significant. The article notes the system "does not suffer from fatigue or impairment," addressing a primary cause of trucking accidents. This could potentially reduce insurance costs through "improved predictability and reduced risk," though the article doesn't quantify these savings.
The technology's proven adaptability across "infrastructure maintenance to commercial supply chain operations" suggests versatility beyond simple highway driving. The public-private partnership approach involving DriveOhio and INDOT demonstrates a collaborative pathway to practical implementation.
While many autonomous vehicle initiatives focus on fully driverless operations, Kratos' Leader-Follower approach represents a pragmatic intermediate step that could see faster adoption. The technology's ability to function in challenging environments and "GPS-denied" conditions addresses limitations that have hindered other autonomous driving systems.
SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets, today announced the continued expansion and operational deployment of its automated truck platooning systems in Ohio and Indiana.
Building upon the company’s March 2024 announcement of a contract to deploy its self-driving platooning technology between Ohio and Indiana along a major trucking corridor, this new milestone marks the success of Kratos’ autonomous trucks on I-70 automated driving deployment project, supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, DriveOhio, and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The initiative’s goal is to advance the adoption of truck automation technologies in the logistics industry across the Midwest.
“At Kratos, we have adapted advanced automated truck platooning technology, originally developed for the U.S. military, to address critical challenges facing commercial logistics, agriculture, energy, and mining sectors, all vital to national security,” said Maynard Factor, VP of Business Development at Kratos Defense. “This project offers a real-world opportunity to demonstrate how proven, automated-driving systems can increase safety, strengthen supply chain resilience, and ensure economic vitality. Operating along the I-70 corridor between Ohio and Indiana enables us to showcase performance in complex, all-weather conditions essential to Midwest freight operations and accelerates readiness for broad adoption. This marks a significant step forward in bringing scalable, next-generation automation to the industries that keep the nation moving.”
The deployment in Ohio and Indiana exemplifies Kratos’ long-standing strategy of leveraging dual-use technologies, originally developed for national security, into cost-effective, high-impact commercial and public infrastructure applications. These efforts multiply the value of internal research and development investments, facilities, and platforms across both sectors.
Kratos’ Leader-Follower platooning capability – where a human-driven lead truck is paired with an automated follower – has been deployed in the U.K. and across the U.S., with multiple systems deployed in states that include Colorado, California, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. These systems are proven adaptable to multiple national security adjacent industries from infrastructure maintenance to commercial supply chain operations increasing safety and maintaining business continuity.
Kratos’ automated platooning systems deliver transformative benefits across both the defense and commercial sectors. This proven technology addresses critical challenges to include the national truck driver shortage, a persistent bottleneck to supply chain resilience. Additionally, unlike human operators, the system does not suffer from fatigue or impairment, enhancing safety for the traveling public and offering the potential to lower insurance costs through improved predictability and reduced risk. In defense and industrial applications, these vehicles can protect lives by removing personnel from hazardous missions and maintain operational effectiveness in GPS-denied or harsh environments, critical for remote military and logistics operations.
Kratos is recognized as a national leader in unmanned systems, with a portfolio spanning tactical and target jet drones, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for military applications, and autonomous commercial trucks. From high-performance platforms like the XQ-58A Valkyrie to autonomous ground systems used in infrastructure maintenance and supply chain industries, Kratos brings decades of innovation and operational expertise to the unmanned domain. Each system is designed to meet the exacting standards of U.S. and allied defense requirements while enabling cross-over potential for commercial use cases—making Kratos a pioneer in delivering dual-use, high-value unmanned solutions at scale.
For more information on Kratos’ autonomous vehicle programs, visit: www.kratosdefense.com.
About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers’ mission critical needs and requirements. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos’ approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions. We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low-cost future manufacturing which is a value add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers. Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos’ comfort level. Kratos’ primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, advanced vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter. For more information, visit www.KratosDefense.com.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 29, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.
Press Contact:
Claire Burghoff
claire.burghoff@kratosdefense.com
Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com
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