HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Cummings Aerospace recently completed a flight test demonstrating Hellhound S3's extended range capability. During the test, the man-portable loitering munition flew more than 30 kilometers (18 miles) with an inert warhead and landed with more than 50 percent fuel remaining, indicating a potential maximum range exceeding 60 kilometers (37 miles).
Sheila Cummings, chief executive officer of Cummings Aerospace, said, "This test validates Hellhound S3's persistent loitering capability at extended ranges. That range, combined with speed and modularity, makes Hellhound ideally suited for both loitering munition missions and counter-unmanned aircraft system operations against Group 2 and Group 3 threats, such as the Shahed."
The most recent flight test is part of an ongoing test series validating Hellhound S3's performance across a wide range of speeds and flight profiles. Cummings uses modular open systems architecture and 3D printing, allowing the company to rapidly iterate the design based on test data and Soldier feedback.
The most recent Hellhound S3 test was held at Pendleton UAS Range in Oregon on Sept. 18, 2025. The drone was launched from a vertical canister, transitioning to the target area. The drone exhibited extended loiter using tight figure-eight patterns over designated target, carrying an inert warhead. Following launch, the Hellhound flew more than 30 kilometers at speeds of 80 meters per second (roughly 180 miles per hour) before engineers concluded data collection, landing with more than 50 percent fuel remaining, indicating potential maximum range of over 60 kilometers.
In the coming months, Cummings Aerospace will continue flight testing to validate automatic target recognition algorithms. The company will also continue developing hunter-killer concepts of operations for Hellhound, conducting additional demonstrations for U.S. Army and Department of War customers across multiple mission sets.
