What Happened
Venture-Backed Defence Aviation Company Advances High Speed Capabilities
Hermeus, a venture-backed defence aviation company, has secured a $159m contract modification with the Defense Innovation Unit to advance high-Mach flight testing. The company is partnering with the US Air Force and US Navy to demonstrate high-Mach flight and high-speed payload release, with the goal of proving that uncrewed aircraft can reliably reach high-Mach speeds and release payloads in flight. Hermeus has already achieved supersonic flight with its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft, and is currently building and testing its next aircraft, Quarterhorse Mk 2.2. This development was first reported by an unknown source.