VulcanForms and defense technology startup Specter Aerospace will produce airbreathing hypersonic weapons at scale. This partnership results from the demand for next-generation hypersonic munitions by the US Department of War and mission partners.
Little information is still shared about VulcanForms’s technology capabilities. When the company turned stealth mode off, it said it aims to advance “100-kilowatt laser additive manufacturing technology”. By building each stage of the manufacturing process itself, making its own printers, designing parts, doing final machining and testing, VulcanForms is developing a concept that ensures control over the entire manufacturing process.
“The Defense Industrial Base 2.0 must be resilient. VulcanForms is unique because it serves all industries, which has allowed us to learn and share faster with our customers. Partnerships that win embrace physical AI and leverage lessons from commercial industries. Our north star is to bridge the digital and physical worlds,” said VulcanForms Executive Vice President Matthew Rose.
Specter Aerospace’s hypersonic vehicle development has long employed VulcanForms’ 3D printing, high-volume manufacturing expertise and engineering, enabling faster design cycles, a more resilient supply chain and lower costs.
This partnership is shaping faster routes to field testing and operational integration. The strategic partnership will transition years of successful development into one of the nation’s most advanced full-rate production facilities, fully integrating both companies’ capabilities to transform critical minerals into critical munitions and reinforcing a shared commitment to deploying low-cost, cutting-edge technology to U.S. forces and partners.
“Specter has spent nearly a decade building airbreathing hypersonic missiles and targets in collaboration with the Department of War,” said Specter Aerospace CEO Felipe Gomez del Campo. “Today, in response to the urgency of delivering hypersonic munitions to the U.S. Joint Force to deter our adversaries, Specter is partnering with VulcanForms to build America’s first dedicated hypersonic manufacturing capacity from the ground up to deliver affordable and lethal hypersonic weapons to fighter aircraft and joint operations.”
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