New 3D-printed drone gives Soldiers extended reach for strike and drone defense

Recent test shows man-portable system can reach targets more than 60 kilometers away

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cummings Aerospace recently completed a flight test demonstrating Hellhound S3's extended range capability. During the test, the man-portable loitering munition flew more than 30 kilometers (18 miles) with an inert warhead and landed with more than 50 percent fuel remaining, indicating a potential maximum range exceeding 60 kilometers (37 miles).

Why It Matters
"This test validates Hellhound S3's persistent loitering capability at extended ranges," said Sheila Cummings, chief executive officer of Cummings Aerospace. "That range, combined with speed and modularity, makes Hellhound ideally suited for both loitering munition missions and counter-unmanned aircraft system operations against Group 2 and Group 3 threats, such as the Shahed."

Ongoing Testing
The most recent flight test is part of an ongoing test series validating Hellhound S3's performance across a wide range of speeds and flight profiles. Cummings uses modular open systems architecture and 3D printing, allowing the company to rapidly iterate the design based on test data and Soldier feedback.

Details of the Most Recent Test:

• When and where: Pendleton UAS Range, Oregon, Sept. 18, 2025
• Vertical launch from canister
• Transition to target area
• Extended loiter using tight figure-eight patterns over designated target
• Carried an inert warhead
• Flew more than 30 kilometers before engineers concluded data collection
• Flew at speeds of 80 meters per second (roughly 180 miles per hour)
• Landed with more than 50 percent fuel remaining, indicating potential maximum range exceeding 60 kilometers
• Results: All primary objectives achieved

This approach directly supports the Department of War's initiative to unleash U.S. military drone dominance, using 3D printing to enable rapid production at lower cost.

About Hellhound

• Flexible speed: Documented top speed of 384 miles per hour enables it to chase and destroy Group 2 and Group 3 UAS.
• Mission flexibility: The modular design supports warhead, Electronic Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance payloads.
• Soldiers can field-swap payloads in less than 2 minutes without tools.
• Affordable: Combines 3D printing and U.S. Department of War-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.
• Proven performance: Achieved Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7), demonstrating reliable performance in operationally realistic conditions.
• Manufacturing ready: Achieved Manufacturing Readiness Level 7 (MRL-7), with established production processes and capability.

On the horizon
In the coming months, Cummings Aerospace will:

• Continue flight testing to validate automatic target recognition algorithms.
• Continue developing hunter-killer concepts of operations for Hellhound.
• Conduct additional demonstrations for U.S. Army and Department of War customers across multiple mission sets.

Note to editors
Hellhound is a family of UASs with multiple specialized variants. The Hellhound S3 variant is a Group 1 UAS. The Hellhound S4 variant is a Group 2 UAS designed to support missions including gap-filling ISR coverage for Golden Dome.

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