Cummings Aerospace’s Hellhound S3, a turbojet-powered, 3D printed kamikaze drone, recently hit a milestone with its first flight on a US Army test range during the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) 2025. The Hellhound S3, which flies at speeds exceeding 375 mph, showcased its ability to perform in real-world, tactically relevant scenarios – validating its operational readiness.
Developed to arm Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) with strike capabilities previously reserved for Armored Brigades, the Hellhound S3 delivers high-speed, long-range lethality against armored vehicles and fortified targets. Its breakthrough lies not just in performance, but in its engineering approach: combining 3D printing with DoD-approved commercial components, the system is both cost-effective and lightweight, weighing under 25 pounds as a complete unit.
The AEWE demonstration, conducted at Fort Moore, Georgia, on January 30, 2025, involved a GPS-guided mission using an inert warhead. All mission objectives were met, confirming the kamikaze drone’s Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL-7) and proving its reliability in combat-like environments. It marked the culmination of two years of developmental flight tests and solidified the Hellhound’s status as a next-gen solution for mobile infantry units.
“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.”
Designed with a modular payload bay, the Hellhound S3 can quickly switch between warhead, electronic warfare, and ISR payloads – all field-swappable by soldiers in under five minutes without tools. Looking ahead, Cummings Aerospace plans further flight testing and aims to submit the system to the US Army’s Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. With scalability built into its 3D printed frame, the Hellhound S3 is poised to adapt to a wide range of missions across military branches and allied forces.
