Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has been selected by Elroy Air to serve as the exclusive U.S. manufacturer for Elroy’s Chaparral vertical takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) cargo drone, under a new five-year agreement. According to the announcement, this partnership aims to accelerate mass production of the Chaparral, a hybrid-electric autonomous drone designed for both defense and commercial logistics.
Elroy Air’s CEO Andrew Clare remarked that Kratos’s reputation in producing cost-effective unmanned systems and its established supply chain make it the logical choice to scale Chaparral’s manufacturing. Kratos CEO Eric DeMarco noted that their existing infrastructure and experience in delivering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) align well with Elroy’s roadmap and market ambitions.
The Chaparral system is capable of transporting up to 300 pounds (≈136 kg) over distances up to 300 miles (≈480 km). Its hybrid-electric propulsion approach is intended to balance speed, range, and payload flexibility, enabling more efficient logistics operations in both military resupply and commercial contexts.
Initial production will commence at Kratos’s Sacramento, California facility, with eventual shift to high-rate manufacturing at their Oklahoma City operations. The first Chaparral units are expected to roll off production lines in 2026.
The announcement comes as Kratos continues to expand its unmanned systems capabilities and bolster partnerships to serve growing demand in autonomous logistics and defense markets.
