Archer, Anduril to Pitch DOD on ‘Next-Generation’ Defense Aircraft

The aircraft, which according to a media release is being designed for “critical defense

applications,” will be developed using a chunk of the $430 million in equity capital Archer raised on Thursday from a combination of new and existing investors.

“Anduril and Archer share a common vision for advancing capabilities that meet urgent national security needs, and we look forward to partnering with Archer to bring advanced vertical lift aircraft to our customers,” said Shane Arnott, senior vice president of engineering at Anduril.

The DOD has long been enamored with Archer’s flagship Midnight air taxi: a fully electric VTOL model designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers on short-hop flights within cities such as New York and Chicago or between cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It promises zero emissions, quiet operations within urban environments, and the ability to take off and land from tight spaces.

Those qualities have garnered attention from NASA, the FAA, and other government agencies, which are working with Archer (and competing manufacturers such as Joby Aviation) to pave the way for a new generation of air mobility within cities. Add commercial customers United Airlines and Southwest Airlines to the list.

The U.S. military, though, will be the first customer to get a crack at Midnight. The Air Force in August received the first of six aircraft under contracts valued up to $142 million and has begun evaluating it.

Under the guise of Archer Defense, a new company initiative that will be led by Joseph Pantalone, head of advanced products, Archer and partner Anduril will design a new, hybrid-propulsion VTOL model the company describes as “next generation.”

The program will draw from $430 million in fresh funding raised partially by United and manufacturing partner Stellantis, both existing investors. Also joining the raise were asset manager Wellington Management and 2PointZero, a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’ IHC with more than $27 billion in assets.

According to Archer, the companies will “target a potential program of record from the DOD.” Though little is known about the design of the aircraft itself, the media release notes the partners will draw on Archer’s ability to build VTOL aircraft “using existing commercial parts and supply chains” and Anduril’s “deep expertise in artificial intelligence.”

Though Midnight is designed to be piloted, Archer has an agreement with competitor Wisk—which is developing a self-flying VTOL air taxi—to install the Boeing subsidiary's autonomous technology on a future variant of its flagship model. The Air Force, meanwhile, has demonstrated an interest in technology that can automate its fleet of tankers and aerial refueling aircraft, such as systems from Merlin Labs and Reliable Robotics.

Both of them could gain some much-needed knowledge about uncrewed flight working with Anduril. But so far only Archer has put pen to paper.

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