An enemy fighter jet rockets through the sky, traveling at a speed just below Mach 1. The aircraft suddenly dips, zooming six feet above the ocean then abruptly soars skyward, performing corkscrews and rotations as it tries to elude the oncoming missile. A U.S. pilot watching the enemy aircraft aims toward it. With a hit of the control panel, he fires and shoots. It’s a kill. And the realistic drone then drops to Earth with a parachute attached.
This is the world of 21st-century warfare training: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions is preparing the U.S. military for the next evolution in combat by building high-tech, state-of-the-art aerial target drones that are smaller versions of advanced jet fighters.
Based in San Diego, Kratos has two dozen locations across the world, including in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom. The company has three offices and 500 employees in its Sacramento Unmanned Systems division. The division’s offices are in Roseville while the drones are built at two 80,000-square foot warehouses — one at McClellan Park and the other on Raley Boulevard in Rio Linda...
Read the full article 'Target Practice' by Comstock's Magazine