3D-printed, turbojet-powered kamikaze drone completes first flight on U.S. Army test range

Demonstrates tactical proficiency in operational environment

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cummings Aerospace's Hellhound S3, a turbojet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone that flies faster than 375 mph, completed a demonstration at the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) 2025.

The demonstration marked a significant milestone: the Hellhound S3's first flight on a U.S. Army test range, validating the S3's ability to operate in a tactically relevant environment.

Hellhound S3 is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed to equip the U.S. Army's Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) with the same combat power as Armored Brigades, enabling precise, long-range strikes against tanks, armored vehicles and fortified positions.

Why it matters

"Hellhound's performance at AEWE 2025 highlighted a fundamental reality — speed matters, and quadcopters and prop-driven drones take too long to get downrange," said Sheila Cummings, CEO of Cummings Aerospace. "While quadcopters and propeller-driven drones will still be puttering along behind friendly lines, Hellhound will already be over the target area, giving IBCTs the ability to strike faster, reach deeper into the battlespace, and decisively engage fleeting, time-sensitive targets."

The demonstration also enabled Cummings Aerospace engineers to gather important feedback from warfighters, enabling the company to further refine the system.

The demonstration

• Fort Moore, Georgia, Jan. 30, 2025.
• One GPS-guided tactical mission using an inert warhead payload.
• All primary mission objectives met.
• Revalidated the airframe and key subsystems at Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7), proving reliable performance in operationally realistic conditions.
• Builds on previous milestones, including 12 flight tests conducted on the Hellhound airframe over the past two years that established the system's core capabilities.

About Hellhound

• Faster time on target: Powered by a turbojet engine, Hellhound S3 demonstrated a speed of 384 mph during a series of tests in early January.
• Affordable: Combines 3D printing and U.S. Department of Defense-approved commercial components to reduce production costs, simplify logistics and deliver advanced capabilities at lower costs than traditional systems.
• Manportable: All-up round (vehicle, launch canister and ground control system) weighs less than 25 pounds, allowing single-Soldier deployment and enhancing Infantry mobility.
• Mission flexibility: The modular design supports warhead, Electronic Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance payloads.
• Soldiers can field-swap payloads in less than 5 minutes without tools.

On the horizon

In the coming months, Cummings Aerospace will:

• Conduct additional flight tests of the Hellhound S3 to bring the entire system to TRL-7.
• Submit a proposal formally offering Hellhound to the U.S. Army's Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program.
• Conduct demonstrations and tests of Hellhound for other customers.

Built for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, scalable for the future

Hellhound S3 is specifically engineered to meet the U.S. Army's LASSO program requirements, providing Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) with:

• Precision lethality: Capable of engaging tanks, armored vehicles and fortified positions while minimizing collateral damage.
• Extended range and endurance: Loitering capability allows Soldiers to acquire and strike targets within the IBCT battlespace, including beyond line of sight.
• Operational scalability: Modular design ensures Hellhound can support additional payload options and mission profiles as LASSO evolves.
• Future growth: The baseline Hellhound's scalable design allows it to adapt to evolving missions and expand to support other military branches and allied mission requirements.

Note to editors

Hellhound is a family of UASs with multiple specialized variants.

About Cummings Aerospace

Cummings Aerospace, a Native American Woman-Owned Small Business headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, is an aerospace engineering company delivering responsible weapon system solutions for defense modernization and readiness. Cummings Aerospace expertise encompasses the design, development, production and sustainment of missile systems, hypersonic vehicles, radars, command and control systems, and associated technologies.

Website: https://cummingsaerospace.com/ 

SOURCE Cummings Aerospace