Anduril Industries’ UK subsidiary this week announced it is leading a team with Archer Aviation
[ACHR] to bid for future military and civil flight opportunities with the latter’s Midnight electric vertical Takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Other partners announced in this team include Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis.
The companies said they plan to look into both civil and military uses, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations as well as enabling low-emission, rapid-response logistics to support a range of U.K.-focused civil and military use cases, like cargo.
The current Archer Midnight eVTOL is billed as designed to conduct quick back-to-back 20-50 minute flights with a rapid “minimal charge time” between flights for a pilot and up to four passengers and carry-on luggage. The aircraft is powered by six independent proprietary battery packs and designed to reach speeds up to 150 mph.
Under this scheme, Anduril will be the lead systems integrator as it incorporates the software-defined mission autonomy, communications and command and control systems geared to U.K. operational need. Archer will then act as the platform provider, adapting the eVTOL for dual use applications and continuing existing work with Anduril on a planned hybrid aircraft.
AtkinsRéalis will provide its expertise in incorporating novel aviation technologies for the U.K. airspace, after it was appointed the first approved assessor of commercial drones by the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The team added that Skyport Drone Service will also use their operational experience after delivering several beyond line of sight campaigns for major U.K. clients like the National Health Service and Royal Mail. Skyport participated in the 2024 Royal Navy Heavy Lift Challenge that showed off the efficacy of dual-use aircraft.
“The U.K. has clear ambitions both for innovation and growth, as well as to continue its leadership in advanced air mobility. This partnership brings together Archer’s leading eVTOL technology, Skyports’ infrastructure expertise and AtkinsRéalis’ safety systems in order to support future flight projects, accelerating VTOL and BVLOS developments. It also unlocks opportunities in defence and civil domains, including rapid, low-emission urban transport and surveillance capabilities for defence applications. Introducing Archer to the U.K., alongside experienced local partners, marks a step forward in delivering integrated air mobility,” Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK, said in a statement.
Anduril also argued that the team is “well-positioned to support the U.K.’s ambition to become a global leader in aviation technologies” by combining the latest advancements in eVTOL development, software-defined systems integration, regulatory experience and operational delivery.
Anduril boasted its software-focused approach to developing products allows them to deploy new systems quickly, citing the experience fielding several dual-use military capabilities like the Ghost autonomous uncrewed air system to the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
In 2024, Anduril and Archer said they were in a separate exclusive partnership to jointly develop a next generation hybrid-propulsion VTOL aircraft for defense applications, seeking to ultimately get a program of record with the U.S. Defense Department. In August 2024 Archer delivered a Midnight eVTOL to the U.S. Air Force for flight testing an evaluation with its AFWERX innovation until (Defense Daily, Dec. 12, 2024).
“This team marks the next phase of our partnership with Anduril. There’s an incredible amount of opportunity here in the U.K. and worldwide to deploy dual-use advanced aircraft and we look forward to making it a reality,” Verity Richardson, Archer’s Head of Business Development for the U.K., said in a statement.
Skyports Drone Services’ director, Alex Brown, said this partnership is a “natural step” for them as the U.K. government advances enabling permanent BVLOS drone operations.
“Our first project on cargo services will lay the groundwork for other applications with significant value, such as surveillance and search and rescue.”
For his part, AtkinsRéalis’ Global Head of Aerospace and Defence David Clark said it will support the team to safely integrate automated uncrewed aircraft into U.K. skies with its experience with novel aircraft designs and emerging regulatory frameworks.
This teaming announcement comes after AtkinsRéalis and Skyports note they are members of the U.K. Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium that has demonstrated the feasibility of an eVTOL ecosystem in the U.K. The consortium is developing technology, infrastructure, major aspects of passenger travel, vehicle operation, airspace navigation, ground charging and local stakeholder engagements.