Anduril and Archer unveil autonomous VTOL platform for dual use

Anduril and Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) have jointly unveiled an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft platform designed for both defense and commercial applications, according to a press release issued at the Farnborough Airshow in England.

Anduril showcased the defense variant of the platform, called Thunder, which the company describes as a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft intended to supplement crewed attack and assault aircraft. The platform uses a series hybrid-electric powertrain and a dual tiltrotor configuration, enabling both vertical takeoff and landing and wingborne cruise flight.

The aircraft is built around a modular payload design and is intended to operate from locations without runways. Its tiltrotors vary rotor RPM across flight regimes to manage fuel consumption and reduce acoustic signature.

"From raw performance to producibility, harnessing the best technologies from the commercial eVTOL market for defense is central to how Thunder will deliver operational value to our customers," said Shane Arnott, SVP of Maneuver Dominance at Anduril.

Adam Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Archer, said the design required a clean-sheet approach. "This mission required a clean sheet design, built from the ground up to meet the needs of modern commercial and defense applications," he said.

The companies stated that multiple test flights using full-scale surrogate aircraft have already been completed. Thunder's first flight is planned for 2027.

Archer said it plans to announce the first commercial customers for the platform separately.

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