Cummings Enhances Hellhound Drone Capabilities for Critical Golden Dome Operation

This week at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, Cummings Aerospace introduced a new version of its Hellhound drone, specifically tailored for homeland security missions.

The firm is advancing its drone technology from the S3 model to the enhanced S4 model, targeting air defense operations. The S4 is particularly designed to counter drone threats and aligns with the objectives of President Donald Trump’s homeland missile defense initiative known as Golden Dome.

The Hellhound S3 drone, which is turbojet-powered and constructed using 3D printing technology, is capable of carrying various payloads. Cummings Aerospace is promoting this model as a potential loitering munition in an upcoming competition organized by the U.S. Army.

The enhanced S4 model, aimed at fulfilling the requirements of the Golden Dome missions, is an upscaled version of the S3. It maintains a modular design featuring a detachable nose that allows for versatility in applications ranging from drone countermeasures to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tasks, or even functioning as an inexpensive cruise missile, according to Sheila Cummings, CEO of the company.

Sheila Cummings stated that the S4 offers “a broad spectrum of mission capabilities and multi-launch platform potentials,” emphasizing that while it is primarily ground-based, its structure and launching canister are also compatible with air and sea deployments.

She further explained that versatility and the ability to fulfill multiple roles are crucial for any layered defense strategy like that envisioned for Golden Dome.

While the S3 variant weighs between 12 to 14 pounds depending on its payload, the S4 model is significantly heavier at around 45 pounds. However, both models largely utilize the same software, 3D printing materials, and commercially available components.

Currently, the S4 is in the engineering development stage, with prototypes under construction. Flight testing of these capabilities is scheduled from this fall to the next spring, as per Cummings.

Similar to the production approach of S3, the design of the S4 also incorporates considerations for mass production requirements.

The military has been revising its acquisition processes to include scalability as a criterion in competitive acquisitions, a departure from past practices where the focus was primarily on performance without much concern for production feasibility or supplier stability.

In 2021, Cummings Aerospace set up a facility adjacent to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, designed to support the large-scale production of these drones.

A significant part of the Hellhound air vehicle is produced using in-house 3D printers and standard parts that are readily available on the market, ensuring supply chain robustness and cost-effectiveness, according to Cummings.

Cummings emphasized the importance of designing systems that can utilize components like screws and 3D print materials from multiple suppliers to ensure production stability and cost efficiency, especially for sophisticated payloads and electronics.

She also mentioned the production target for the Huntsville facility, aiming to manufacture at least 100 S3 drones each month.

With a strategy encompassing both U.S. and international partnerships and licensing agreements for the vehicle design, Cummings Aerospace plans to meet the production demands for both S3 and S4 models.

Cummings concluded by underscoring the company’s strong foundation in missile defense systems, which have been a core area since its inception 16 years ago, contributing to nearly every interceptor, sensor, and command-and-control initiative within the missile defense portfolio.