Kraus Hamdani Aerospace (KHA) has been awarded a $270 million single source indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity rapid deployment contract by U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT). The award will accelerate the deployment of the K1000ULE, a long endurance drone with years of proven dual use operational success across both military and commercial sectors.
The K1000ULE is described as the longest endurance UAS in its size and weight class worldwide. It operates with a remarkably small logistics footprint, requiring only two person teams to deploy. The system features a fully modular and open architecture and can carry multiple payloads and sensors, giving operators flexibility across a range of mission types. This contract signals growing confidence in the platform as a frontline capability for U.S. forces operating in highly contested environments.
Why the Long Endurance Drone Matters in the Middle East
According to the press release, U.S. forces across the Middle East now operate in an environment where unmanned systems have moved from a supporting role to a primary capability deployed at scale. Adversaries are fielding large volumes of low cost drones to overwhelm defenses, disrupt operations, and compress the time available for critical decisions. At the same time, high value remotely piloted aircraft such as the MQ-9, which cost many millions of dollars per unit, are increasingly being shot down in contested airspace. This has created what KHA describes as a new operational reality where persistent awareness, resilient communications, and real time responsiveness are not optional advantages but absolute requirements.
The contract is designed to deliver those capabilities through the K1000ULE at the speed that current operational conditions demand. It also reflects a broader shift toward urgency in how the U.S. military approaches the accelerating pace of military drone orders and modern unmanned warfare.
“Operators need systems that adapt in real time, maintain connectivity in contested environments, and support decisions at speed. The K1000ULE is built to meet that need.” Stefan Kraus, Co-Founder and CTO
Kraus also emphasized the importance of beyond line of sight operations, noting that the K1000ULE’s secure SATCOM capability enables both ISR and resilient connectivity for U.S. forces and partner nations operating throughout the Middle East.
K1000ULE Integrates With Next Generation Command Systems
The long endurance drone has also been integrated into the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) environment through Anduril’s Lattice platform. Operating as a networked node on the modern battlefield, the system enables real time coordination and faster, more resilient decision making in contested environments. The fully electric K1000ULE platform delivers long range ISR with AI enabled autonomy, allowing operators to detect threats earlier, sustain operations under pressure, and act before adversaries gain the advantage.
“KHA’s mission is to save lives and connect the world. Meeting today’s challenges requires a different kind of company, one that moves at speed, builds with the warfighter, and delivers capability that can be used immediately.” Fatema Hamdani, Co-founder and CEO
The K1000ULE is purpose built for austere, contested, and GPS denied environments where traditional platforms lose their effectiveness. It provides persistent awareness and operational continuity in exactly the conditions U.S. forces are encountering across the region. The platform is also among a select group of fixed wing UAS included in the Department of War’s Drone Dominance UAS marketplace, expanding procurement access for both U.S. and allied forces.
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace Expands Its Defense Footprint
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace builds AI powered unmanned aerial technologies for what it describes as the world’s most critical missions, situations where communications fail, infrastructure breaks down, and seconds matter. The company has supported the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, MARSOC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and global energy leaders through proven deployments across military and commercial sectors. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Emeryville, California, KHA operates worldwide.
This $270 million AFCENT award represents a major scale up for the company. Previous contracts included a $20 million APFIT program deal to deliver the long endurance drone to U.S. Army Pacific and the Joint Special Operations Command. The new award signals that the platform has moved well beyond the testing phase and into a role as a trusted, operationally proven system. As the U.S. military continues prioritizing persistent, networked, and autonomous unmanned capabilities, Kraus Hamdani Aerospace appears positioned to play a growing role in that transformation.
