Kratos Ragnarök cruise missile for unmanned aircraft
The American company Kratos is known for its heavy reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) projects. It has also begun developing armaments for these vehicles and is already demonstrating initial results. It is proposed to equip existing and future heavy UAVs with the Ragnarök cruise missile. This system has minimal dimensions and is expected to demonstrate high flight performance.
Premiere in Moscow
At the end of September, the Miramar Air Show 2025 exhibition was held at the San Diego Air Base in California, dedicated to the development of combat aviationKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. presented all of its major developments there. Furthermore, it debuted a promising cruise missile, previously unknown to the general public.
The developer officially unveiled the Low-Cost Cruise Missile (LCCM) Ragnarök. For clarity, mockups of the missile were displayed with an XQ-58 Valkyrie attack UAV as a carrier.
UAV It was attached to the standard launcher and carried two missile dummy rockets. One was in the internal cargo bay, and the other was suspended under the wing. The Ragnarok rockets were shown in both transport and flight configurations, with the rocket deploying its wing beneath the launch vehicle.
The LCCM Ragnarök cruise missile is positioned as a promising air-to-surface guided weapon with a unique combination of tactical, technical, and combat characteristics. It is intended to improve the strike capabilities of unmanned aircraft while reducing production and operational costs.
Furthermore, the missile is proposed for use as an unmanned aerial platform carrying alternative payloads. In this case, it would become a disposable UAV capable of performing missions other than directly engaging a target. Having two distinct mission options should offer clear advantages.
Commercial plans
The Ragnarök project is currently in the design phase. In the foreseeable future, Kratos plans to conduct all necessary tests and confirm the calculated characteristics of the product in both the rocket and payload carrier configurations.
Rockets close-up
Then, if an order is placed, the developer will be able to launch mass production. Economic assessments of the project have already been completed. According to the developers' estimates, with a production run of 100 Ragnaroks, the cost of each unit will be around $150.
The Pentagon is considered the primary buyer of the new missiles and drones. The US military is actively developing its unmanned aircraft and plans to adopt heavy-duty UAVs like the Kratos Valkyrie.
Attack drones will be able to carry weapons borrowed from tactical aircraft. The possibility of creating new models specifically for them is also being considered—and Kratos has already incorporated such plans into its Ragnarök project. Whether such a munition will be of interest to the military remains to be seen.
Technical features
LCCM Ragnarök is a small cruise missile with a traditional design for such a missile. weapons appearance. At the same time, the developer points to the use of a number of modern solutions and new ideas that have improved all the product's key characteristics and expanded its scope of application.
The missile has an elongated fuselage with a streamlined nose and a cross-section close to a trapezoid with rounded corners. The hinge for the folding wing is located in the lower central section. The tail is equipped with four small rudders.
The airframe is constructed of carbon composite, which provides an optimal balance of weight and strength. Furthermore, this material, combined with the distinctive fuselage contours, reduces radar signature.
The missile's dimensions and weight are not disclosed. However, at a recent exhibition, it was displayed alongside a carrier drone. Comparing them, the Ragnarök's length can be estimated at 1,7-1,8 meters. The fuselage height does not exceed 160-170 mm. The wingspan cannot yet be estimated.
The XQ-58 UAV has a payload of 1200 pounds—600 pounds inside the fuselage and under the wings. The drone can carry two Ragnarok missiles in the internal compartment and one under each wing. This means the missile weighs no more than 150 pounds (68 kg). The developer has disclosed its payload capacity: 80 pounds (36,3 kg).
Kratos notes that the missile has an "improved propulsion system optimized for strike missions," but does not provide details. The design of the missile shows a compact turbojet engine located in the tail of the fuselage. The air intake is located on the underside of the fuselage.
In flight, the rocket will be able to reach speeds of up to Mach 0,7 and climb to an altitude of 35 feet (10,6 km). Its maximum range is stated at 500 nautical miles (926 km).
The Ragnarök's guidance system is unknown. Satellite-based or inertial navigation guidance systems could be used to engage ground targets. A compact active radar homing head could also be incorporated into the limited-size hull. The missile version is expected to carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
Other options are also being proposed, transforming the missile into a UAV for a different purpose. These could include optical or electronic reconnaissance systems, as well as a communications system for real-time data transmission. Kratos may even attempt to develop a control system with a "swarm" function, enabling the coordinated operation of multiple UAVs and standardized missiles.
The limited size and weight clearly impact the range of potential launch vehicles. The LCCM Ragnarök missile can be used by various aircraft, either internally or underwing. The possibility of use with certain launchers mounted on standard pallets has also been mentioned.
Promises and Possibilities
Kratos has extensive experience developing unmanned aerial vehicles and various systems for them. Now, it has decided to expand its scope and create a promising munition for UAVs. Notably, the new LCCM Ragnarök project is based on developments in fully-fledged unmanned aircraft borrowed from other projects.
The developer recently officially unveiled the advanced rocket and revealed key details about it. A complete technical picture is still missing, but initial assessments and predictions are already possible.
An XQ-58 UAV in flight with an F-16 fighter jet.
In terms of its overall appearance and key characteristics, the Ragnarok is a typical ground-attack cruise missile. It has all the features of modern systems of this class—a stealthy composite airframe, a turbojet propulsion system, sophisticated control electronics, etc.
The stated flight performance characteristics are particularly interesting. The new missile's maximum range is expected to reach 500 nautical miles. Combined with other design features, this capability should enable it to tackle fairly complex combat missions. Only a few American-developed cruise missiles possess this or similar performance level, and Kratos Ragnarök could be among this select group.
The concept of a multi-role aerial platform is of great interest. Depending on the installed devices and instruments, the Ragnarok can be used as a cruise missile for strikes or as an unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance. In both cases, the operator gains high flight performance and corresponding operational capabilities.
However, it's not without its obvious drawbacks. The most important is the small payload. A warhead weighing just 80 pounds will have limited power and will only be able to hit a limited range of targets. Furthermore, the small fuselage cross-section will limit the reconnaissance instruments and, consequently, the effectiveness of data collection.
It's easy to see that the missile/drone's dimensions and weight had to be reduced due to the need to fit within the XQ-58's internal compartments. These design features are also expected to hinder further development. The Ragnarök simply lacks the internal volume to accommodate increased payload or additional fuel.
Complex goals
Recent years have seen rapid development in unmanned aircraft, including a variety of attack aircraft. In particular, leading countries are developing specialized air-launched weapons for such platforms. Kratos joined this process and immediately set itself the challenging task of creating a compact, long-range munition.
The LCCM Ragnarök project has now completed some of its early stages, and testing of the missile is expected to begin in the near future. Whether this missile will be able to pass all the tests, confirm its design characteristics, and attract the interest of potential customers remains to be seen.
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