Startups to watch

Hermeus

Hermeus is developing reusable high-speed aircraft with the goal of dramatically reducing the time required to develop and test hypersonic systems. Its Quarterhorse program is already moving through flight testing.

Firestorm Labs

Firestorm Labs is attacking the defense manufacturing problem from the drone side. Its approach combines modular unmanned aircraft with rapidly deployable manufacturing, allowing systems to be produced closer to where they are needed.

The bigger idea is scale. If drones can be manufactured quickly, repaired locally and modified for specific missions, military units may be able to field new capabilities without waiting years for a traditional production cycle.