Firejet

Firejet is Kratos Defense's family of jet-powered aerial target drones, used by the US Army and allied operators to simulate advanced aerial threats in weapons testing. In April 2026 Kratos completed initial flight trials of a new variant, the Mk1 Firejet, integrating its own J85 turbojet engine, a step the company says makes it the first to market with a high-performance tactical jet drone priced under $500,000.

The baseline Firejet (designated MQM-178) is a carbon-fibre composite target drone capable of 0.69 Mach, a 35,000 foot service ceiling, and low-level flight down to 20 feet, pulling manoeuvres from minus 2g to 9g to mimic modern threat aircraft and missiles. It supports both surface-to-air and air-to-air weapons-release training, carrying a payload of up to 70 pounds for a range of test instrumentation.

The Mk1 variant's own-engine configuration reduces Kratos' reliance on third-party powerplants and lets the company offer a faster, cheaper tactical jet target as militaries expand live-fire testing against drone and missile threats, a capability that sits alongside the wider rise of low-cost jet-powered uncrewed platforms this week.