On Thursday, Archer Aviation announced it has joined forces with defense tech company, Anduril Industries, to develop a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft for defense applications.
In a joint press release, the two companies detailed plans to develop the next-gen aircraft by leveraging Archer’s advanced VTOL design process with Anduril’s expertise in artificial intelligence—reducing costs and bringing the technology to market quicker than conventional approaches. The goal is to get it accepted as an official Department of Defense (DOD) program.
Archer said its involvement is part of its new Archer Defense initiative, which will be led by Joseph Pantalone—a military aviation veteran with 30 years of experience at industry giants Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky.
To support the program, Archer raised $430 million in additional funding through equity investments from major backers, including Stellantis, United Airlines and Wellington Management. This brings the company’s total funding to nearly $2 billion.
“The Archer team has deep expertise in the rapid design, engineering, and production of next-generation vertical-lift aircraft. With Anduril by our side, and this new influx of capital, we will accelerate the development and deployment advanced aerospace technologies at scale,” said Archer Aviation founder and CEO Adam Goldstein.
No details of the aircraft or its target entry date into the market were released.
