• Archer Aviation entered a partnership with defense contractor Anduril to jointly develop an autonomous series hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft platform.
• Anduril unveiled the defense variant, Thunder, positioned as a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft for crewed attack and assault aircraft support.
• Platform targets both defense missions and commercial uses, aiming for improved range, payload, and operating costs versus traditional rotorcraft.
• Multiple full-scale surrogate test flights have been completed; Thunder’s first flight is planned for 2027.
• Archer plans to announce the platform’s first commercial customers later this week.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Archer Aviation Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via Business Wire (Ref. ID: 202607200730BIZWIRE_USPR_____20260720_BW310885) on July 20, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.