Kratos wins $20m contract for mobile SATCOM gateways in Asia-Pacific
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has been awarded a contract worth more than $20 million to deliver mobile satellite communication (SATCOM) gateways for a defence customer in Asia, the San Diego-based company announced on 1 September 2026. The deal extends Kratos' footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and adds to its portfolio of ground-system and transportable-antenna programmes.
The customer was not named in the announcement, which is consistent with typical defence procurement confidentiality. Kratos did not disclose the contract duration, delivery schedule, or whether the award is firm-fixed-price or cost-plus.
What Kratos is delivering
The turnkey system centres on Kratos' Trifold transportable antennas, which are truck-mounted and described by the company as deployable without specialist tools and ready for rapid, discreet transit. The antennas feed into a mobile SATCOM hub designed for high-throughput communications in field environments.
A shelter unit houses baseband processing platforms alongside two Kratos software products: Compass, which handles monitor-and-control of mission-critical networks, and Monics, which provides spectrum monitoring and interference detection. The combination is positioned by Kratos as a self-contained, resilient gateway that can sustain connectivity when fixed infrastructure is unavailable or compromised.
John Chay, Vice President of Business Development in Asia at Kratos, said the capability is "ultimately about giving operators on the ground what they need most: dependable communications they can count on in the middle of fast-moving missions."
Market context and competitive landscape
The award reflects a broader shift in defence procurement toward survivable, expeditionary communications. Recent conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East have demonstrated the vulnerability of fixed SATCOM infrastructure to precision strikes, electronic warfare and spectrum jamming, accelerating demand for mobile and rapidly deployable alternatives.
Kratos competes in this segment against established prime contractors such as L3Harris, Viasat and General Dynamics Mission Systems, all of which offer transportable SATCOM ground systems for military customers. Specialist antenna suppliers including ViaSat's government division and Orbit International also contest the transportable-antenna category. Kratos' competitive positioning rests on vertical integration of antenna hardware, baseband platforms and network-management software within a single programme, which the company says reduces integration risk for customers.
The Asia-Pacific defence SATCOM market is expanding as regional governments increase investment in resilient communications following heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly around the Indo-Pacific. US allied nations in the region have been accelerating procurement of interoperable communication systems compatible with US Space Force and allied SATCOM constellations, a trend that benefits vendors with existing US defence certifications and export authorisation records.
Regulatory and export considerations
Sales of defence-grade SATCOM equipment to foreign governments typically require US State Department export licences under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and in some cases approval under the Export Administration Regulations administered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. Kratos did not indicate in its announcement whether the necessary export authorisations are already in place, though the award announcement implies government-to-government or foreign military sale structures that would ordinarily involve pre-clearance.
For Kratos, whose revenue base spans unmanned aerial systems, hypersonic programmes and satellite ground systems, the SATCOM gateway contract represents continued diversification of its international defence business. Investors will watch for further Asia-Pacific awards and for the company to disclose delivery milestones as the programme matures.