Archer expands into defence with powertrain for Omen

An initial 50-unit order from the UAE for the Omen platform has created early demand for Archer’s electric propulsion system beyond its Midnight aircraft.

Archer Aviation has agreed to supply its electric powertrain technology to Anduril Industries and EDGE Group for Anduril’s Omen AAV system. The UAE is acquiring 50 Omen systems, creating early demand for Archer’s powertrain technology beyond its own Midnight aircraft.

This is the first time Archer is providing its proprietary powertrain to a third party. CEO Adam Goldstein says: “While most see our Midnight eVTOL as an aircraft, we view Midnight as a platform that plays host to a wide range of new and exciting aerospace technologies that will be leveraged way beyond our own aircraft. Our powertrain deal with Anduril is the first of what we expect to be many examples of this.”

Anduril’s SVP of Engineering Shane Arnott adds: “By combining the Archer team’s expertise in powertrain technology with a little bit of Anduril magic, we’ve been able to mature our propulsion solution to achieve the ranges, speeds, and payload capacity we need to make Omen operationally relevant for a variety of dual-use mission sets.”

Archer also recently signed deals with Korean Air and has been selected in both Osaka and Tokyo for AAM projects using its Midnight aircraft.