Hermeus flies F-16 sized Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 drone in key supersonic test milestone
March 4, 2026
Hermeus has flown its F-16-sized Quarterhorse drone, which is planned to be the company’s first aircraft to go supersonic. The startup company is focusing on high-speed autonomous aircraft, with the ultimate aim of producing hypersonic unmanned aircraft.
Hermeus successfully test flies its larger Quarterhorse combat drone
The US defence company, Hermeus, has announced it has successfully flown its new autonomous aircraft, the Quarterhorse Mk 2.1. The test flight took place at Spaceport America over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Nine months, two distinct new aircraft.
— Hermeus (@hermeuscorp) March 2, 2026
Last week, Quarterhorse 2.1 cleared the runway in the New Mexico desert. Building at this pace and scale is the result of many minds refusing to accept slow as an answer.
One step closer to the high-speed capability our country has waited… pic.twitter.com/6SeIguXJSb
Hermeus said in a news release that this marked the company’s second first flight in less than a year, underscoring how fast the development of advanced autonomous combat drones is progressing. It also underscores how fast the development cycles of unmanned aircraft are becoming.
Hermeus wrote, “The next-generation Quarterhorse builds directly on the successful first flight of Hermeus’ first aircraft, Mk 1, in May 2025, which validated the company’s rapid, iterative development approach.”
The Mk2.1 is almost three times larger and around four times heavier than its predecessor (the Mk. 1), as well as being significantly faster. Hermeus claims it is one of the largest unmanned aircraft ever built.
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Building a supersonic unmanned aircraft
The ongoing tests will see the aircraft reach supersonic speeds. Current US Air Force programmes such as the General Atomics YFQ-42, the Anduril YFQ-44, and the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie (selected by the Marine Corps) are subsonic.
AJ Piplica, CEO and Founder of Hermeus, said, “Today’s flight kicks off a critical flight test campaign that will ultimately get us to supersonic speeds, bringing the United States closer to having the high-speed capability it needs now, not decades from now.”
The company is continuously building and flying prototypes in quick succession, steadily increasing the speed and performance of the aircraft.
Meet Quarterhorse Mk 2.1: an F-16-sized jet built to break the sound barrier.
— Hermeus (@hermeuscorp) February 24, 2026
It’s the first of three jets in the Mk 2 lineup. Instead of waiting years between tests, we build and fly them in rapid succession. Real data from one flight feeds directly into the next, letting us… pic.twitter.com/g6qA07QbrS
Quarterhorse is about the size of an F-16, which is considered a light or medium-sized fighter jet, depending on the variant. It is expected to be followed by Mk 2.2, which will become the world’s fastest unmanned aircraft.
The Mk2.1 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100, the same family of engines that powers the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Hypersonic aircraft are next for Hermeus
Hermeus is working to develop hypersonic aircraft, and these aircraft are stepping stones. The company says that subsequent phases will continue to push towards Hermeus’ end goal of “unlocking sustained ramjet-powered flight for the United States — this decade.”
The start-up company describes itself as a high-speed aircraft manufacturer focused on the rapid design, build, and test of high-mach and hypersonic aircraft.
According to reporting by Aviation Week, the Mk. 2.1 is expected to have a top speed in the Mach 1.25 to Mach 1.5 range, while the planned Mk.3 version will have speeds of between Mach 2.5 and Mach 3.0. Over Mach 5 is considered hypersonic.
The Mk. 3, which will follow the upcoming Mk.2.2, will be equipped with the complete TBCC propulsion system with both an F100 engine and a ramjet.
The War Zone reported last year that Hermeus wants to build an uncrewed aircraft able to beat the venerable SR-71 Blackbird’s absolute speed record for an air-breathing crewed aircraft. After that, Hermeus will look at going hypersonic.
Since aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II, the USAF has placed less emphasis on increased speed and more on stealth. Whereas the F-4 has a top speed of around Mach 2.2, the F-35 has a top speed of Mach 1.6.
Featured Image: Hermeus
