Cummings Aerospace is now prepared to manufacture its Hellhound loitering munition at low-rate production levels. CEO Sheila Cummings made this announcement in a recent interview with Defense News at the company’s new production facility located near Huntsville, Alabama. The facility was strategically chosen in 2021, situated next to Redstone Arsenal, which houses the program office for Army aviation testing and development.
As of January 2025, Cummings Aerospace successfully conducted flight tests of its Hellhound S3 in Pendleton, Oregon. Sheila Cummings mentioned that the company has significantly focused on preparing for major acquisition and production of these loitering munitions, achieving a manufacturing readiness level of 7. This classification indicates that the facility has established defined production workflows and work instructions for building their air vehicles.
The Hellhound, which weighs under 25 pounds, demonstrated impressive capabilities by flying faster than 350 miles per hour and covering distances of 20 kilometers using only 50% of its fuel. It stands as the first major end-to-end weapon system developed by Cummings Aerospace, a woman-owned small business founded in 2009 with expertise in aero-space engineering, particularly in missiles, radars, and command-and-control systems.
Upcoming demonstrations of the Hellhound will involve special operations, the U.S. Navy, and international showcases in the U.K. during the summer. The company plans to execute low-rate production during these demonstrations, aiming for quantities of 12 to 14 vehicles to fully test their production processes.
Cummings Aerospace also scored a significant milestone by completing flight tests earlier this year of a turbo-jet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone. The Hellhound S3 is now prepared for submission to the U.S. Army’s Low Altitude Stalking and Striking Ordnance (LASSO) competition, which is set to begin later this year. This competition will require the company to build a total of 135 munitions, with an initial expectation of producing 35 prototypes.
Cummings highlighted the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific as factors emphasizing the need for robust production capacity and supply chain management. The design strategy of the Hellhound incorporates modular capabilities and an open systems architecture, allowing for easy integration of various technologies.
A significant portion of the Hellhound’s construction utilizes commercially available 3D printing, paired with standard parts purchasable from multiple suppliers. This approach aims to ensure affordability and scalability, enabling the sourcing of components like screws and electronics from various vendors. Additionally, Cummings mentioned the potential for licensing designs to other suppliers with standard 3D printers to further augment production capacity.
The Huntsville production facility has a goal of producing at least 100 air vehicles per month, with flexibility for increased output depending on demand and supplier capabilities. The expectation from military acquisitions now extends beyond simply showcasing new technologies to demonstrating the ability to produce these systems efficiently and at scale.
