Archer unveils Halo commercial autonomous VTOL twin of Anduril Thunder

Archer Aviation introduced Halo, a commercial autonomous hybrid-powered tiltrotor that shares the core airframe and systems of its Thunder loyal-wingman aircraft without the weaponry, New Atlas reported from an Archer announcement at Farnborough. Like Thunder, Halo is described as a Group 5 autonomous hybrid-powered tiltrotor with a top speed of 278 knots, a range of 800 nmi, and an operating ceiling above 18,000 ft. Its series hybrid-electric propulsion uses a fuel-powered generator to supply electric motors, with dual optimum tiltrotors that vary RPM. Archer designed the airframe, battery architecture, hybrid-electric powertrain, and rotor dynamics and is scaling production via commercial supply chains, while Anduril integrated AI flight software, defense systems, and command-and-control through its Lattice platform, according to the report. Commercial targets include offshore energy supply, heavy freight logistics, maritime operations, and emergency medical cargo transport. Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said the company partnered with Anduril to build a clean-sheet aircraft in a different class of range, speed, and payload.