FLYING Magazine
California-based Archer Aviation and Anduril have unveiled an autonomous, hybrid-electric, runway-independent aircraft platform—one the partners believe could handle commercial cargo operations or serve as a “loyal wingman” for crewed fighter jets, among other uses.
Archer CEO and founder Adam Goldstein in a statement described the new platform, built around the manufacturer’s powertrain and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology, as the “most sophisticated vertical lift aircraft ever made.” At the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K. this past week, Archer and Anduril unveiled two variants—Thunder and Halo—that they jointly developed for defense and civil operators, respectively.
The partners said the aircraft will share an airframe, powertrain, and core systems but be configurable for different payloads and missions. They have been collaborating under an agreement signed in late 2024, which initially billed the autonomous, hybrid-electric concept as a defense aircraft. Now, the partners describe it as “dual-use.”
Archer and Anduril in a news release said Thunder and Halo will introduce a “step change” in vertical lift, combining VTOL technology with autonomy to meet the speed, range, payload, and cost requirements of both civil and defense users. They did not provide detailed specifications. But Anduril on its website says Thunder will match the speed of the AH-64 Apache or Bell MV-75 Cheyenne II.
The partners said both aircraft will feature dual tiltrotors that have varied rotor rpm, which is intended to optimize power use, lower fuel burn during cruise flight, and reduce noise for urban operations or covert activities. Each will be compact enough to fit within a standard shipping container and designed for low-cost, high-volume production, they added.
Archer is working toward FAA certification of its flagship all-electric air taxi, Midnight. At the same time, commercial and military operators have shown interest in hybrid-electric and autonomous capabilities. Rival electric aircraft manufacturers Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, and Electra have partnerships with L3Harris, GE Aerospace, and Lockheed Martin, respectively, to develop their own hybrid-powered designs.
New Aircraft, New Capabilities
The partners describe Thunder, showcased by Anduril at Farnborough last week, as an “autonomous attack rotorcraft.”
Neither company mentions the U.S. military’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) initiative, which seeks to flank crewed fighters with uncrewed wingmen. But the news release notes that Thunder is intended to “multiply the combat power of current and next-generation crewed attack and assault aircraft.”
Per Anduril’s website, Thunder will be able to fly independently or join an “autonomous formation” alongside crewed fighters. The company was recently awarded a production contract for its YFQ-44A Fury, a candidate to be one of the first U.S. Air Force CCA.
“Defense is moving from exquisite, expensive VTOL aircraft to autonomous ‘loyal wingman’ systems fielded at scale without putting crews at risk,” Archer wrote in a post on X. “Commercial operators need to deliver payloads over long distances, fast, into places without a runway, without a crew, and at low cost.”
Archer and Anduril said Thunder will fall under the military’s Group 5 classification for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), which covers models with maximum takeoff weight greater than 1,320 pounds and normal operating altitude above 18,000 feet agl. General Atomics’ MQ-9 Reaper and Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk are Group 5 UAS.
Per Anduril, Thunder will store combinations of different munitions and enable “more stowed kills per sortie” than the Apache. Autonomy, it said, will allow it to “maneuver with the formation, share data, coordinate effects, and act on pilot intent.”
Potential use cases include effects delivery and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. First flight is planned for 2027, though the partners said they have conducted multiple flights using “full-scale surrogate aircraft.”
Halo, by contrast, is intended for civil operators specializing in freight, medical cargo, offshore energy, maritime security, and other remote activities requiring high payload capacity. Archer said it will come with a modular payload bay and the range required to reach offshore locations, with “speed available when necessary.”
The company said commercial users will see lower noise and operating costs due to improved energy efficiency and higher utilization without an onboard pilot. At Farnborough, it named Japan’s Marubeni Aerospace Co. as Halo’s strategic launch partner.
“Currently, even in cargo transport operations that do not require onboard crew, flights are conducted with human pilots, absorbing the cost, scheduling constraints and human exposure that come with it,” said Satoru Nakagawa, president and CEO of Marubeni.
Archer said the collaboration will focus on the future introduction of Halo, with more customers to be announced this year. Marubeni does not operate aircraft but serves as the Japanese sales representative for major overseas manufacturers.