Mach Industries wins DIU contract for a ship-launched long-range strike drone
A three-year-old startup just won the Pentagon's bet to put a 1,400-nautical-mile strike drone on the deck of a destroyer, no flight deck or runway required.
A three-year-old startup just won the Pentagon's bet to put a 1,400-nautical-mile strike drone on the deck of a destroyer, no flight deck or runway required.
The Defense Innovation Unit awarded Mach Industries the contract for its Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike program, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday. The Huntington Beach company will act as aircraft integrator on a drone called Atlas, teaming with propulsion firm Whisper Aero.
DIU and the Navy opened the RIMES program in February. The solicitation sets a one-way range of at least 1,400 nautical miles. It wants a 1,000-pound munition aboard, the class an F/A-18 Super Hornet already drops. And it has to fly off a ship with no large flight deck, an Arleigh Burke destroyer included. The driver is anti-ship missiles: keep the shooter back, push the reach forward.
Atlas is built around Whisper Aero's JetFoil propulsion, Mach said in its release. The company describes a 7,000-pound hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off from an unimproved rotary-wing landing zone with a thrust-to-weight ratio under half what vertical flight needs, trading the runway for range and a low acoustic signature, per Aviation Week. Note the propulsion: Mach's brand is hydrogen, but on this airframe both Mach and Whisper Aero call it hybrid-electric. Mach could not disclose the contract value, Tectonic Defense reported.
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Subscribe Free →The award lands two weeks after Mach closed a $300 million Series C at a $1.8 billion valuation, TechCrunch reported, roughly four times its mark a year earlier, plus a $50 million buy of rocket-motor maker Exquadrum. Founder Ethan Thornton is 22.
DIU is leaning into that speed. Director Owen West has pushed the unit to take acquisition risk and field commercial gear fast, cutting cost per kill by "replacing warfighters with economical fires and robots," Federal News Network reported. The Atlas deal is phased, structured so DIU can roll quickly into more funding once the propulsion proves out. The prototype sits at technology readiness level 4, early bench-scale, per Tectonic Defense. The capital has arrived. The flying hardware is the next thing to watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mach Industries win?
A Defense Innovation Unit contract for the Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike (RIMES) program, naming Mach as aircraft integrator for a strike drone called Atlas, according to Breaking Defense and Mach's own release. The contract value was not disclosed, Tectonic Defense reported.
What is Atlas and what can it do?
Atlas is an uncrewed aircraft built with Whisper Aero's JetFoil propulsion. The RIMES solicitation calls for a one-way range of at least 1,400 nautical miles, a 1,000-pound munition payload, and the ability to launch from ships without a large flight deck, according to Breaking Defense and Mach.
Is Atlas hydrogen-powered?
No. Mach Industries is known for hydrogen propulsion work, but both Mach and Whisper Aero describe Atlas as a hybrid-electric aircraft using the JetFoil system, per the Mach release and Aviation Week.
Why does the Navy want a runway-independent strike drone?
The DIU solicitation cites the growing threat of long-range anti-ship weapons. A ship-launched long-range strike drone lets surface combatants strike from farther out without a carrier or a fixed airfield, according to Breaking Defense and Tectonic Defense.
How big is Mach Industries?
Mach is a three-year-old startup that closed a $300 million Series C at a $1.8 billion valuation in early June and acquired rocket-motor maker Exquadrum for $50 million, TechCrunch reported. Founder Ethan Thornton is 22.
What happens next?
The contract is phased, with an early stage covering technology diligence on the novel propulsion, after which DIU can move into further funding tranches, Tectonic Defense reported. Mach's prototype is at technology readiness level 4.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.