Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has unveiled the Ragnarök Low-Cost Cruise Missile (LCCM), a new system the company says could redefine affordability and scalability in precision strike capabilities.
Presented at Kratos’ facilities in San Diego, Ragnarök combines a 500-nautical-mile (925-kilometer) range with a unit price reportedly around $150,000 when produced in batches of 100. That figure is significantly lower than the cost of traditional cruise missiles, which often exceeds several million dollars per unit.
The Ragnarök features a carbon-composite fuselage, a wing-folding mechanism for compact storage, and compatibility with multiple carriage options, including internal bays, external pylons, and palletized configurations. The design also aligns with NATO standard 14-inch rack systems.
According to Kratos, the missile can cruise at speeds above Mach 0.7 and reach altitudes of up to 35,000 feet (10,700 meters) while carrying an 80-pound (36-kilogram) payload.
Kratos said the system was engineered from the start for affordability and rapid production, emphasizing manufacturability and modularity to meet “the budget realities that dictate what systems ultimately make it to the field,” according to Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems.
Comparison with conventional cruise missiles
The company’s performance claims place Ragnarök in a unique niche between loitering munitions and conventional long-range cruise missiles such as the Lockheed Martin JASSM-ER, MBDA Storm Shadow/SCALP, or Germany’s Taurus KEPD 350.
These established systems achieve similar or longer ranges, often between 500 and 1,000 kilometers, but carry warheads of several hundred kilograms and come at a dramatically higher cost, typically in the million-dollar class per missile.
By contrast, Ragnarök’s 36-kilogram payload and lightweight construction suggest a very different design philosophy: achieving volume, not just lethality, through affordability and scale.
If Kratos’ cost projections of around $150,000 per unit prove realistic, Ragnarök would represent an order-of-magnitude price drop compared to missiles like JASSM-ER or Storm Shadow, which are generally produced in limited quantities for high-value targets.
Synergy with autonomous platforms
The company showcased Ragnarök on its XQ-58 Valkyrie autonomous combat aircraft, demonstrating compatibility both externally and within its bomb bay. This pairing indicates that Kratos envisions Ragnarök as part of a larger ecosystem of low-cost, attritable systems capable of functioning in swarms or coordinating with crewed aircraft. This concept aligns with the “system of systems” approach promoted by Western nations and manufacturers developing the so-called 6th generation of fighter jets.
Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, said the company developed the missile using internal funding, adding: “At Kratos, it’s products not PowerPoints, and we’re ready to manufacture affordably and in mass quantities today.”
The Ragnarök system has completed its initial development phase and is now moving toward production, with Kratos engaging prospective defense partners and government customers to define operational use cases.
A growing field of low-cost strike systems
Ragnarök enters an increasingly competitive field. Lockheed Martin is developing its own Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT) family of low-cost, modular cruise missiles, while Anduril’s Barracuda series aims to deliver similar long-range, affordable precision-strike capability at scale. In Europe, MBDA has introduced its Crossbow concept to address allied demand for more accessible cruise missile options.
Each of these programs reflects the same underlying shift: a recognition that quantity, modularity, and cost efficiency may soon define the next generation of strike warfare as much as raw performance.
