Cummings Aerospace recently completed a series of flight tests for Hellhound, a turbo-jet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone that can fly faster than 350 miles per hour.
Hellhound is designed to equip the U.S. Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams with the same lethal combat power as Armored Brigades, enabling precise, long-range strikes against tanks, armored vehicles and fortified positions.
The flight tests provided critical data further validating Hellhound’s readiness for complex operational scenarios.
Test scope
- Speed and range testing: Flew faster than 350 mph at half throttle while exceeding distances of 20 km, using just 50% of fuel.
- Seeker integration: Proved Hellhound’s ability to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions by validating Hellhound’s seeker with live video transmission during flight.
- Inert payload testing: Conducted simulated strikes with an inert warhead, verifying the functionality of critical systems.
- Test conditions: Hellhound flew – and performed reliably – in very low temperatures, high winds and snow.
- Results: All primary objectives achieved.
- Validated the airframe and key subsystems at Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7), proving reliable performance in operationally realistic conditions.
- Previous milestones: Builds on 12 flight tests conducted in 2023 and 2024 that established the system’s core capabilities.
About Hellhound
- Affordable: Combines 3D printing and DOD-approved commercial components to reduce production costs, simplify logistics and deliver advanced capabilities at lower costs than traditional systems.
- Faster time on target: Powered by a turbojet engine, Hellhound demonstrated speeds exceeding 350 mph at half throttle during recent test, ensuring rapid response to time-sensitive threats. Future tests will evaluate the full performance envelope.
- 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 ISR 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 Hellhound to bring the entire system to TRL 7.
- Submit a proposal formally offering Hellhound to the U.S. Army for the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program.
- Conduct demonstrations and test of Hellhound for other customers.
Hellhound is specifically engineered to meet the U.S. Army’s Loitering Munition 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: Hellhound’s scalable design allows it to adapt to evolving missions and expand to support other military branches and allied mission requirements.