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Hellhound S3 (Cummings Aerospace)
Illustration (artist impression) by The Adepti — not a photo; shape and proportions from public descriptions, details indicative
Hard kill

Hellhound S3 (Cummings Aerospace)

US 3D-printed jet drone for strike and interception
US

Vertically launched, single-soldier jet drone: loitering munition, precision weapon or drone interceptor

A compact jet-powered drone from US firm Cummings Aerospace with a 3D-printed airframe and commercial parts, designed for low-cost mass production (more than 100 a month, according to the company). It is launched vertically from a canister without a runway and, with modular payloads, can strike targets or intercept other drones. The company is aiming at the US Army's LASSO programme and at countering Group 2-3 drones such as the Shahed. All performance figures are manufacturer claims.

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Key data

Manufacturer
Cummings Aerospace (US)
Size / mass
~90 cm long, ~5.9 kg
Speed
up to ~618 km/h (claim)
Range
> 60 km (claim); a test of more than 30 km in 2025
Payload
Modular: armour-piercing, high-explosive fragmentation, EW module or decoy module
Launch
Vertical from a canister; multi-round launcher on a Polaris vehicle

Relevance

Test
25 Aug 2026, Pendleton UAS Range (Oregon): two Hellhound S3s launched within 90 s, then flew different missions autonomously under one fire-control system (inert payloads)
Why it matters
A Western attempt to break the cost asymmetry against Shahed/Geran drones with a cheap jet drone; a larger Hellhound S4 is in development for Golden Dome
Source
Militarnyi / Defence Blog (20 Oct 2026), RU Mil Tracker e-20261021-05; manufacturer claims
See also
The Alexa Spatium and DOFA-Tek DF-1 / DF-3 cards

News archive 1

Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.

  1. US firm Cummings Aerospace shows 3D-printed Hellhound S3 vertical-launch jet strike drone, tests two-round launcher on a Polaris vehicle

    US company Cummings Aerospace has developed the Hellhound S3, a compact jet-powered strike drone with a 3D-printed airframe, Militarnyi reports, citing a company press release via Defence Blog. The drone is launched vertically from a canister, is about 90 cm long, weighs around 5.9 kg and, according to the manufacturer, reaches up to 618 km/h and can travel…

    ScaleCountermeasureRU Mil Tracker · 1 source
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