Southern Indiana Business Report
ODON – Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a technology company in defense, national security, and global markets, announced last week that it has selected Odon as the future home of its new mid-tier coupled arc jet and laser facility.
The site selection represents a major milestone for Project Helios following the company’s prior announcement of award to design and build the new test capability.
After an extensive, multi-state review, Kratos determined that Odon best meets the technical and operational requirements for the project. In a news release, Kratos shared the significance of the Odon announcement and contributing to the region’s growing role in the nation’s defense industrial base.
“This was a highly competitive process with several strong candidate locations,” said Michael Johns, senior vice president at Kratos. “Kratos continues to lean forward to support our critical defense 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 is driven by a set of core design priorities that advance both technical capability and national security objectives. The program provides a critical bridge between laboratory material development and fielded system applications, enabling more efficient transition of hypersonic materials into operational use. It expands the nation’s aerothermal testing bandwidth to support growing defense demands, while delivering higher-throughput, cost-effective evaluation at scale. At the same time, Project Helios reflects Kratos’ long-term commitment to collaboration, innovation, and investment in the infrastructure necessary to sustain and strengthen national defense capabilities.
The new facility is being designed to address critical gaps in the current U.S. test infrastructure by providing aerothermal testing for materials used on hypersonic systems at an accessible scale. Once complete, the Odon-based capability will complement existing national test ranges and increase access to vital material evaluation resources for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of War.
“We are grateful for the outstanding partnership from Indiana’s leadership and our utility collaborators, including Utilities District of Western Indiana and Hoosier Energy,” said Dave Carter, president of Kratos’ Defense and Rocket Support Services Division. “Their proactive engagement was invaluable as we determined the best home for this critical capability, which we are excited to make available to the defense community. We look forward to a long and productive presence in the region.”
Kratos is building a strong presence in southern Indiana. In 2025, Kratos broke ground on a $50 million hypersonics test bed facility in the WestGate@Crane Technology Park. The new facility, which is expected to reach operational readiness by the end of 2026, is expected to create more than 100 high-tech jobs with an average annual wage exceeding $80,000.
Kratos is also involved in the launch of Prometheus Energetics, which will serve as the anchor and primary tenant of the new munitions campus that will be built in Bloomfield. Kratos and Raphael Advance Defense Systems have committed an initial investment of $175 million to establish Prometheus, a manufacturer of solid rocket motors, in Indiana. 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.