Archer Aviation CEO discusses eVTOL defense platform and industry outlook

Archer Aviation's chief executive, Adam Goldstein, laid out the company's growing defense ambitions in an interview after the unveiling of a new hybrid-electric VTOL platform called Thunder, developed jointly with Anduril Industries.

Thunder is an autonomous attack rotorcraft meant to operate alongside manned helicopters such as the AH-64E Apache and Bell's MV-75 Cheyenne II. According to the company, it can be configured with air-to-ground missiles, launched effects, or unguided rockets. The idea is a lower-cost unmanned companion to crewed attack aircraft.

Goldstein said the partnership with Anduril began roughly two years ago. At that point, the defense company was exploring the idea of a scalable, unmanned aircraft capable of tasks similar to those of an Apache helicopter. Under the arrangement, Archer builds the base aircraft, and Anduril integrates autonomy, mission systems, and weapons.

The announcement came alongside a related commercial autonomous platform, Halo, unveiled the following day at the same air show. Goldstein has been prominent in promoting electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for future urban air mobility. He also commented more broadly on the business climate for entrepreneurs, describing the current political environment in the United States as favorable for companies like his.

No financial details, timelines for deployment, or specific customers for Thunder were disclosed in the available material.