Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Hermeus Flies More Advanced Supersonic Demonstrator
Uncrewed aircraft Mk 2.1 commences supersonic test campaign
Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 being towed out to runway at sunrise
The remotely-piloted Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 is undergoing testing at New Mexico’s Spaceport America, using airspace over White Sands Missile Range © Hermeus

Hermeus has made the successful first flight of its latest Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 prototype, kicking off a campaign the company said will see the uncrewed aircraft reach supersonic speeds. Flight testing of the Mk 2.1 builds on the original Mk 1, which took to the skies in May 2025. Atlanta-based Hermeus has plans to develop hypersonic aircraft for multiple military and civil applications that would include the 20-passenger Halcyon.

“Speed is the fundamental requirement for our flight systems and for our company,” said Hermeus CEO and founder AJ Piplica. He believes that capabilities developed through Quarterhorse’s “rapid, iterative development roadmap” will help in “bringing the United States closer to having the high-speed capability it needs now, not decades from now.”

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