Kratos and NCSIST Successfully Test Mighty Hornet IV Attack Drone

The integrated system combines Kratos' Firejet drone with NCSIST's payload for a new transformative attack UAV.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) have successfully tested the integrated Mighty Hornet IV Attack UAV, a revolutionary transformation of Kratos' MQM-178 Firejet target drone. The test validated the NCSIST-provided payload and mission system with the Mighty Hornet IV aircraft, establishing a baseline for future flight testing.

Why it matters

The Mighty Hornet IV combines cutting-edge technology from both the U.S. and Taiwan, representing a significant milestone in defense collaboration between the two nations. The high-speed, high-altitude capabilities of the Firejet drone provide an ideal platform for the NCSIST payload, creating an affordable and practical tactical UAS solution.

The details

Following months of planning, design, and subsystem tests, the Kratos and NCSIST teams successfully tested and validated the NCSIST payload and mission system with the Mighty Hornet IV aircraft. This milestone enables progression to full flight testing later this year. The modified MQM-178 Firejet drone, with its Mach 0.8 speed, high-G maneuverability, and 35,000-foot service ceiling, serves as the base platform for the Mighty Hornet IV transformation.

  • The successful test was conducted on February 5, 2026.
  • The NCSIST technical team traveled to Kratos' Oklahoma City facility this week to finalize the requirement set and design for the flight testing phase.

The players

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.

A technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets.

National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)

Taiwan's national defense research and development institution.

Steve Fendley

President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division.

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What they’re saying

“The success of this testing by the two organizations represents a significant milestone which enables progression to flight testing. It validates the technical approach, and possibly even more significantly, validates the value of collaborative effort of the technical organizations working together to realize the new system. This is a springboard for not only the Mighty Hornet IV effort, but also potential additional collaborative efforts with other Kratos aircraft and NCSIST systems and technologies.”

— Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division (businessinsider.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This collaboration between Kratos and NCSIST showcases the benefits of defense partnerships, combining cutting-edge technologies from both the U.S. and Taiwan to create an affordable and practical tactical UAS solution that can serve as a deterrent and be readily deployed.