Kratos Expands Sacramento Facility to Manufacture Elroy Air Chaparral Autonomous Cargo Aircraft

Kratos announced on July 20 that it will manufacture Elroy Air’s Chaparral autonomous cargo aircraft at its expanding Sacramento, California production facility.

Exclusive U.S. manufacturer

Kratos will serve as the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of the vehicle and fulfill all U.S. customer orders, with the first production aircraft planned for late 2026.

About the Chaparral

The Chaparral is a hybrid-electric, vertical takeoff and landing autonomous cargo aircraft designed to transport more than 500 pounds of payload over up to 450 miles without requiring traditional airport infrastructure.

50+ more jobs in Sacramento

The Sacramento facility expansion is expected to grow Kratos’s regional workforce of more than 450 high-tech employees by more than 50 additional positions as Chaparral production ramps.

Delivering critical systems at scale

Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, said:

“Kratos is committed to building the Arsenal of Freedom by investing in the people, facilities and manufacturing capabilities needed to deliver critical systems, at scale, to our customers faster than ever before.”