Product profile
Thunder
Thunder is a Group 5 autonomous attack rotorcraft developed by Anduril with Archer Aviation for armed reconnaissance and teaming with crewed attack and ass...
Facts
- Company
- Anduril Industries
- Product type
- uav
- Status
- development
- Primary capability
- autonomous armed reconnaissance and crewed-aircraft teaming
- Website
- https://www.anduril.com/thunder
About Thunder
Thunder uses a series-hybrid electric tiltrotor architecture to combine vertical take-off and landing with efficient forward flight. The uncrewed aircraft carries modular mission equipment for reconnaissance, sensing and attack roles and is designed to deploy without runways or large aviation-support infrastructure. Anduril’s autonomy software will manage mission execution and coordination with other aircraft.
The platform is being developed for operations alongside crewed attack and assault aviation, extending sensing, weapons reach and coverage while reducing exposure of onboard crews. Anduril leads the defence-system, autonomy and mission integration work, with Archer Aviation contributing aircraft and electric-propulsion expertise. Thunder remains in development, with first flight planned for 2027.
Market context
false, vtol_combat_aircraft, combat_aircraft_uav, drone, Combat Aircraft UAV, drone, combat_aircraft_uav
Summary
Type: Autonomous attack rotorcraft
Core: Armed reconnaissance
Function: Scout and strike
Audience: Defence aviation operators
Specifications
- configuration
- Dual optimum-speed tiltrotor
- propulsion
- Series hybrid-electric
Operations
- Environment
- contested_airspace, austere_locations
- Primary user
- defence_aviation_operators
- Role
- armed_reconnaissance, collaborative_combat, strike
- Interaction model
- autonomous_with_human_mission_command
- Mobility class
- group_5_vtol_combat_aircraft
- Product detail
- false, vtol_combat_aircraft, combat_aircraft_uav, drone, Combat Aircraft UAV, drone, combat_aircraft_uav
Research, Articles and recent verified events
- Anduril completes first YFQ-44A Fury at Arsenal-1 — 2026-07-27
- Anduril and Archer unveil Thunder autonomous attack rotorcraft — 2026-07-20
- Anduril YFQ-44A fires AIM-120 in first live-weapons test — 2026-07-15
- Anduril, PGZ and WZL-2 agree Barracuda-500M production in Poland — 2026-07-06
- Anduril and Taiwan MIRDC sign MOU to expand UAV supply-chain integration — 2026-06-04
- Anduril closes $5B Series H at $61B valuation — 2026-05-13
- Anduril wins Tactical Missile Innovation Prize Challenge — 2026-04-02
- JIATF-401 selects Lattice for enterprise tactical counter-UAS command and control — 2026-03-20