In a major development at the nexus of military and commercial technology, Archer Aviation and Anduril Industries have announced an exclusive partnership aimed at the militarized vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) sector.
This collaboration introduces "Archer Defense," with the goal of providing the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with scalable, cost-effective VTOL solutions. Heading up the project will be Joseph Pantelone, backed by nearly 30 years of experience in military aviation having worked previously at Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky.
Archer Aviation has reinforced its financial position with a recent infusion of US$430 million from high-profile investors including Stellantis, United, Wellington Management, and 2PointZero, bringing its total capital raised to nearly $2 billion. This gives Archer substantial resources and ensures there's no immediate short-term need for fundraising.
The initial focus of this partnership is the development of a hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft, with aspirations to secure a "program of record" with the DoD. The aircraft will lean on Archer's expertise in utilizing established supply chains and off-the-shelf parts, in combination with Anduril's advanced capabilities in AI, system integration, and mission-specific adaptations.
Together, Archer and Anduril aim to introduce this hybrid VTOL to the market at a significantly reduced cost compared to conventional aircraft, potentially transforming military logistics, reconnaissance, and rapid deployment strategies. This partnership not only promises to enhance military operations but also highlights the growing trend of integrating cutting-edge commercial technologies into defense applications.
Founded in 2017, Anduril has gained notoriety for leveraging technology from the commercial sector, particularly in AI and software for defense applications, though the military defense company has an array of airborne and underwater unmanned vehicles. Its products aren't limited to simply vehicles, however, as Anduril manufactures strike drones and cruise missiles designed to be inexpensive and easy to mass-produce.
Anduril has recently made headlines for having partnered with with OpenAI, the creators of chatGPT, just a week ago. Also notably, last month with Palantir, which has a focus on AI deployment for national security purposes.
In January of this year, Anduril was selected by the United States Air Force for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, being the only "non-traditional company" to be selected. Traditionally, only large corporations with longstanding histories in aerospace or military – like Boeing, Lockheed or Northrop Gruman – are invited to compete for these types of contracts.
Source: Archer