US Firms Join Forces to Develop New Hypersonic Drone for Military
Alabama-based companies ATRX and Cummings Aerospace have teamed up to create a cutting-edge, low-cost drone capable of reaching speeds five times the speed of sound.
The partnership will integrate a high-speed turbo-rocket into a proven unmanned aerial system (UAS), enabling it to achieve subsonic, supersonic, and eventually hypersonic speeds.
The companies will use a larger version of Cummings’ Hellbound UAS — a low-cost kamikaze drone known for its 3D-printed modular design and commercial off-the-shelf hardware.
“The modern battlefield demands systems that are capable of flying faster and further into contested airspace,” Cummings Aerospace CEO Sheila Cummings stated.
“This partnership with ATRX will allow us to develop ATR-powered UAS that can offer both of these characteristics in a single vehicle, at an affordable price.”
The two companies aim to conduct the first vertically launched test of the hypersonic drone within the next 18-24 months.