SAN DIEGO, June 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that its Unmanned Systems Division (USD) recently received confirmation that its Autonomous Impact Protection Vehicle (AIPV), also known as the Autonomous Truck Mounted Attenuator (ATMA), has officially been approved for autonomous operation on public roadways in the first of many planned states in the USA for roadway line painting operations.  This is a landmark accomplishment that transitions the AIPV from the validation phase of deployment to standard safety critical equipment ready for operational use with trained roadside construction crews.   

The Kratos AIPV is a first-of-its kind work zone vehicle designed in partnership with Royal Truck & Equipment Company to advance safety for roadway maintenance crews. Positioned behind road construction crews, it provides a layer of protection to workers from the traveling public.  The AIPV increases work zone safety by removing the driver from a dangerous assignment of driving the vehicle designed for the specific purpose of being a mobile crash barrier.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, nationwide, there is a work zone crash on average every five minutes, resulting in approximately 70 injuries every day.  In many cases the driver of the standard Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV) is also injured, sometimes severely.  The Kratos developed system provides protection for the roadway maintenance crews while taking the IPV driver out of the seat, significantly reducing risk to those individuals. 

The AIPV system was adapted from an autonomous Leader/Follower system Kratos Defense originally developed for military ground robotics applications enabling an unmanned “follower vehicle” to follow the path of a human-driven “leader vehicle”.  The AIPV Leader/Follower system is an electro-mechanical retrofit kit that includes an advanced navigation system accurate to +/- 6 inches and operational in both GPS and GPS-denied operation.  Additional system components include an encrypted Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications system, advanced front- and side-view obstacle detection/avoidance, an active safety system, redundancy, and several user definable controls.  During operation, velocity, heading, and position information from the leader vehicle is transmitted to the unmanned AIPV in packets of data called eCrumbs.  The transmitted data enables the AIPV to know precise position, speed, and direction of the leader vehicle as it travels along the intended route.       

Kevin Ferguson, General Manager of Kratos MSI, said, “This is yet another significant milestone accomplishment in the emerging unmanned highway safety market, and Kratos is leading the way.  Kratos is the world’s first to operate an autonomous safety vehicle in a roadway work zone, and this accomplishment is the result of our continued strategy to expand and offer life-saving products in that important area, and our ability to develop and implement new technology at an affordable cost.”   

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “This is another ‘first’ achieved by Kratos, and it illustrates our commitment and success with internally funded development and the fielding of unmanned systems targeted at a range of both military and civil needs. We will be deploying these systems worldwide over the coming years, we are extremely proud to have developed and implemented this life saving technology, and we are looking for this business to be another key long term growth driver for Kratos.”

About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) develops transformative, affordable technology for the Department of Defense and commercial customers. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology for these industries are brought to market through proactive research and a streamlined development process. Kratos specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, training and combat systems. For more information go to 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 31, 2017, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos.

Press Contact:
Yolanda White
858-812-7302 Direct

Investor Information:
877-934-4687
investor@kratosdefense.com

Source: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.