Thunder
Group 5 hybrid-electric autonomous tiltrotor jointly built by Anduril and Archer Aviation.
Last refreshed: 24 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Thunder has no contract and a 2027 first flight; is it a real programme or a Farnborough positioning move?
Timeline for Thunder
Unveiled as a Group 5 hybrid-electric autonomous tiltrotor
Drones: Industry & Defence: Anduril and Archer unveil the Thunder tiltrotorBackground
Thunder is a Group 5 hybrid-electric autonomous tiltrotor unveiled jointly by Anduril and Archer Aviation on 20 July 2026, built for both defence and commercial use. Group 5 is the heaviest uncrewed aircraft class.
The aircraft runs a series hybrid-electric powertrain with TWIN variable-speed tiltrotors, needs no Runway, and carries a modular heavy payload. Anduril and ARCHeR say full-scale surrogate aircraft have already flown, with Thunder's own first flight targeted for 2027. No contract value accompanied the reveal, making it a positioning move rather than a funded programme.
Thunder adds a partnered airframe to Anduril's portfolio, which Anduril has mostly built alone while posting a 1.2bn dollar loss against 2026 revenue. It sits alongside a wave of Farnborough uncrewed-aircraft reveals, including Britain's own Brontanax CCA.