05:40 PM EST, 01/07/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Rocket Lab USA ( RKLB ) said Tuesday it was selected to join a team led by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS) for a five-year other transaction agreement, or OTA contract under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed, or MACH-TB 2.0 program.

The total potential value of the contract is $1.45 billion over five years.

The program, created by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, seeks to develop an affordable flight test bed for hypersonic testing, according to the company.

Kratos was awarded the prime role in Task Area 1, which includes systems engineering, integration, and testing, to support hypersonic flight tests.

Rocket Lab will join Kratos' team to offer systems engineering, assembly, integration, and test services, along with mission planning and launch services, using its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron, or HASTE rocket, the company said.