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.
