US warfighters could soon engage tanks and other armored targets with a new effector designed to be carried inside their rucksacks.
Built using 3D printing, the Hellhound S3 is a turbojet-powered, vertically launched system that can be reconfigured for a wide range of mission profiles.
Operators can adapt it as a loitering munition, a precision-guided weapon, or a one-way attack drone, giving forces greater flexibility on the battlefield.
Soldiers can reportedly switch between configurations in under two minutes without tools, swapping modular payloads that provide armor-piercing, electronic warfare, or blast-fragmentation effects.
The system can engage targets at ranges up to 60 kilometers (37.3 miles) and reach speeds of 384 miles (618 kilometers) per hour.
Developer Cummings Aerospace said it used private funding to establish its own production line for Hellhound S3, enabling rapid scaling if demand from the US military increases.
Hellhound S3 Hits the Test Range
The effector recently completed arena testing with a purpose-built anti-armor warhead, validating its ability to defeat advanced adversary threats.
The results move the company closer to a flight test of the warhead against a modern armored target.
Hellhound S3 is also slated for demonstrations with allied partners and participation in exercises with the US Department of Defense.
“This test was all about giving the warfighter affordable anti-armor lethality at scale,” Cummings Aerospace Chief Executive Officer Sheila Cummings said.
