HUNTSVILLE — Just like biplanes gave way to single-wing prop planes which gave way to jet planes, the latest drone aircraft from a Huntsville company could make current unmanned aircraft obsolete in warfare.
Cummings Aerospace’s Hellhound S3 is a turbojet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone that flies faster than 375 mph.
Officials with the Huntsville-based Native American Woman-Owned Small Business said the demonstration marked a significant milestone: the Hellhound S3’s first flight on an Army test range, validating the S3’s ability to operate in a tactically relevant environment.
Hellhound S3 is an unmanned aircraft system designed to equip the Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) with the same combat power as Armored Brigades, enabling precise, long-range strikes against tanks, armored vehicles and fortified positions.
“Hellhound’s performance at AEWE 2025 highlighted a fundamental reality — speed matters, and quadcopters and prop-driven drones take too long to get downrange,” said Sheila Cummings, CEO of Cummings Aerospace. “While quadcopters and propeller-driven drones will still be puttering along behind friendly lines, Hellhound will already be over the target area, giving IBCTs the ability to strike faster, reach deeper into the battlespace, and decisively engage fleeting, time-sensitive targets.”
The Hellhound weighs less than 25 pounds which allows it to be carried by individual solders. The modular design supports warhead, Electronic Warfare, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance payloads.
Also, soldiers can field-swap payloads in less than 5 minutes without tools.
Cummings Aerospace said the demonstration enabled its engineers to gather important feedback from warfighters, enabling the company to further refine the system.
In the coming months, the company plas to submit a proposal formally offering Hellhound to the Army’s Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program and conduct demonstrations and tests of Hellhound for other customers.
