Kraus Hamdani Aerospace (KHA) has been awarded a $270 Million single-source IDIQ rapid deployment contract by U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT). The award accelerates deployment of the K1000ULE Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), a platform with a proven track record and years of dual-use operational success.
With an extremely low logistics footprint (two-person teams), a fully modular and open architecture, and the ability to carry multiple payloads and sensors, the K1000ULE is the longest-endurance UAS in its size and weight class worldwide.
Across the Middle East, U.S. forces now operate in an environment where unmanned systems are no longer a supporting capability; they are a primary capability used at scale. Adversaries are deploying large volumes of low-cost drones to overwhelm defenses, disrupt operations, and compress decision timelines. At the same time, high-value Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems such as the MQ-9s, costing many-millions of dollars, are increasingly being shot down in contested airspace.
This has created a new operational reality where persistent awareness, resilient communications, and real-time responsiveness are mission-critical. The ability to detect earlier, stay connected, and act faster is no longer an advantage, it is a requirement.
This contract enables those capabilities to be delivered by the K1000ULE at the speed operational conditions demand and reflects a broader shift toward urgency in modern 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,” said Stefan Kraus, Co-Founder and CTO. “When beyond-line-of-sight operations are critical, the K1000ULE’s secure SATCOM capability enables both ISR and resilient connectivity for U.S. forces and partner nations across the Middle East.”
The K1000ULE 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 within the modern battlefield, it enables real-time coordination and faster, more resilient decision-making in contested environments.
"KHA’s mission is to save lives and connect the world,” said Fatema Hamdani, Co-founder and CEO of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace. “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.”
The fully electric K1000ULE delivers long-range, long-endurance ISR with AI-enabled autonomy. It enables operators to detect threats earlier, sustain operations in contested environments, and act before adversaries gain the advantage. Designed for austere, contested, and GPS-denied environments, the K1000ULE provides persistent awareness and operational continuity where traditional systems lose effectiveness.
The K1000ULE is also among a select group of fixed-wing UAS platforms included in the Department of War’s Drone Dominance UAS marketplace, expanding access for U.S. and allied forces.
With an extremely low logistics footprint (two-person teams), a fully modular and open architecture, and the ability to carry multiple payloads and sensors, the K1000ULE is the longest-endurance UAS in its size and weight class worldwide.
Across the Middle East, U.S. forces now operate in an environment where unmanned systems are no longer a supporting capability; they are a primary capability used at scale. Adversaries are deploying large volumes of low-cost drones to overwhelm defenses, disrupt operations, and compress decision timelines. At the same time, high-value Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems such as the MQ-9s, costing many-millions of dollars, are increasingly being shot down in contested airspace.
This has created a new operational reality where persistent awareness, resilient communications, and real-time responsiveness are mission-critical. The ability to detect earlier, stay connected, and act faster is no longer an advantage, it is a requirement.
This contract enables those capabilities to be delivered by the K1000ULE at the speed operational conditions demand and reflects a broader shift toward urgency in modern 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,” said Stefan Kraus, Co-Founder and CTO. “When beyond-line-of-sight operations are critical, the K1000ULE’s secure SATCOM capability enables both ISR and resilient connectivity for U.S. forces and partner nations across the Middle East.”
The K1000ULE 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 within the modern battlefield, it enables real-time coordination and faster, more resilient decision-making in contested environments.
"KHA’s mission is to save lives and connect the world,” said Fatema Hamdani, Co-founder and CEO of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace. “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.”
The fully electric K1000ULE delivers long-range, long-endurance ISR with AI-enabled autonomy. It enables operators to detect threats earlier, sustain operations in contested environments, and act before adversaries gain the advantage. Designed for austere, contested, and GPS-denied environments, the K1000ULE provides persistent awareness and operational continuity where traditional systems lose effectiveness.
The K1000ULE is also among a select group of fixed-wing UAS platforms included in the Department of War’s Drone Dominance UAS marketplace, expanding access for U.S. and allied forces.
About Kraus Hamdani Aerospace
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace builds AI-powered unmanned aerial technologies for the world’s most critical missions, when communications fail, infrastructure breaks down, and seconds matter. With proven deployments across military and commercial sectors, Kraus Hamdani Aerospace has supported the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, MARSOC, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, and global energy leaders. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Emeryville, California, the company operates worldwide.
