The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved Hermeus to begin supersonic flight testing of its Quarterhorse Mk 2.2, clearing the next phase of the company’s high-speed development programme. The decision centres on the experimental aircraft and follows earlier progress with the Quarterhorse line, which has already reached supersonic flight in the Mk 2.1 configuration.
Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 is expected to go beyond Mach 2 and support further validation of propulsion and air-inlet systems as Hermeus advances toward more capable reusable high-speed aircraft. The latest clearance gives the programme room to expand from prior milestones into a broader supersonic campaign.
Hermeus has also moved to add autonomy to the Quarterhorse effort, selecting Anduril’s Lattice software for the Mk 2 programme earlier this month. The first mission-autonomy flight is planned for 2027, indicating parallel development on vehicle performance and flight control systems as the company builds out its test cadence.