Hermeus, a venture-backed defense aviation company, today announced it successfully flew its latest Quarterhorse aircraft, marking the company’s second first flight in less than a year. The flight kicks off a test campaign that will see the unmanned aircraft reach supersonic speeds. The next-generation Quarterhorse builds directly on the successful first flight of Hermeus’ first aircraft, Mk 1, in May 2025, which validated the company’s rapid, iterative development approach. Roughly the size of an F-16 and powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine (Pratt & Whitney is an RTX business), Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 is nearly three times larger, four times heavier, and significantly faster than its predecessor, making it one of the largest unmanned aircraft ever built. “Speed is the fundamental requirement for our flight systems and for our company,” said AJ Piplica, CEO and Founder of Hermeus. “We’re building and flying aircraft on timelines that match the urgency of the world we’re in. Today’s flight kicks off a critical flight test campaign that will ultimately get us to supersonic speeds, bringing the United States closer to having the high-speed capability it needs now, not decades from now.”

Full report : Hermeus begins supersonic flight test campaign with Quarterhorse aircraft.

For more see the OODA Company Profile on Hermeus.