Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mike Braun delivered the opening keynote address at last week’s Midwest Defense Innovation Summit (MDIS), hosted by the Applied Research Institute in Indianapolis. Speaking to more than 300 leaders from industry, government, and academia, Braun highlighted Indiana’s role as an emerging center for defense innovation, which is creating thousands of high-wage jobs.
“Indiana is well positioned to be the destination for defense innovation,” said Braun. “We have the ability and the talent to move quickly from concept to capability, creating high-wage jobs and strengthening our economy while supporting the Department of War.”
Indiana’s leadership rests on its unmatched assets and recent momentum. Naval Weapons Station Crane, the third-largest Navy base in the world, serves as the state’s anchor for nuclear modernization, hypersonics, and munitions production. Recent breakthroughs at NWS Crane, including Kratos’ hypersonics programs and the Prometheus Munitions Campus, are already translating into new facilities, expanded production lines, and direct job creation across the state.
Kratos is building a $50 million hypersonics test bed facility near the WestGate@Crane Tech Park. The new facility is expected to create more than 100 high-tech jobs with an average annual wage exceeding $80,000. A second large-scale development is the National Security Industrial Hub. The munitions campus will be constructed on 1,100 acres near the Crane base. Prometheus Energetics, a partnership between Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. and Raphael Advance Defense Systems, will be the anchor and primary tenant. Prometheus will manufacture solid rocket motors to meet a growing demand for SRMs by the nation’s military.
The state’s advanced manufacturing base, microelectronics expertise and logistics strength make it a natural partner for the Department of War.
Braun’s Executive Order to establish Indiana as a key partner in national drone dominance, along with the development of a dedicated drone corridor, is accelerating private-sector investment in next-generation systems.
The two-day event featured 30 speakers including several from Crane and defense companies in and around the WestGate@Crane Tech Park.
Speakers included:
- NSWC Crane Technical Director Dr. Angela Lewis
- NSWC Crane Deputy Technical Director Dr. Kyle Werner
- NSWC Crane Lead for Advanced Proving Grounds Matthew Brackenhoff
- NSWC Crane Distinguished Scientist for Disruptive EMS S&T James Stewart
- Kratos Senior Vice President Mike Johns
Andrew Kossack, CEO of the Applied Research Institute, praised the governor’s leadership and Indiana’s trajectory.
“Governor Braun’s vision captures the momentum ARI is driving on a national scale,” said Andrew Kossack, CEO of ARI. “By leveraging Indiana’s manufacturing strength and unmatched technical talent, we are ensuring our warfighters get the critical solutions they need at the pace of relevance.”