Kratos to develop hypersonic test facility at Odon, Indiana

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has chosen Odon, Indiana as the site for its upcoming mid-tier coupled arc jet and laser facility, marking a significant step for Project Helios.

Following a comprehensive assessment across several states, the company determined that Odon met the technical and operational requirements for the initiative, which aims to advance hypersonic materials testing capabilities in the US.

The new facility, once operational, is positioned to enhance existing national testing infrastructure by providing aerothermal assessments of materials used in hypersonic systems, Kratos said.

This development is set to supplement the existing national test ranges, thereby increasing the resources available for all branches of the US Armed Forces and the Department of War (DoW).

Kratos senior vice president Michael Johns said: “This was a highly competitive process with several strong candidate locations. Kratos continues to lean forward to support our critical defence infrastructure and partner with communities, like Odon, that share our passion for serving our nation.

“We deeply appreciate the support we received from local and state leadership throughout the selection process. Their commitment to fostering advanced technology development played a key role in this decision.”

Project Helios focuses on bridging laboratory research and operational deployment, helping accelerate the integration of advanced materials for hypersonic applications.

The project seeks to deliver high-throughput, cost-efficient material evaluation and expand the nation’s aerothermal testing capacity in response to defence requirements.

Earlier this year, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions secured a contract from the US DoW’s Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO) to support test and evaluation activities for thermal protection systems in hypersonic vehicles.