Hermeus Selects Anduril Lattice for Quarterhorse Mk 2

Hermeus has selected Anduril Industries to integrate the Lattice for Mission Autonomy software into the Quarterhorse Mk 2 high-speed uncrewed aircraft, marking Anduril’s first commercial agreement to supply its autonomy solution for a third-party Group 5 platform.

Announced in a joint press release on September 3, 2026, the partnership aims to achieve the first autonomous flight of the Quarterhorse Mk 2 in 2027. The integration aligns with the United States Air Force (USAF) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program’s push for modular systems, demonstrating that advanced hardware and software can be developed independently and combined for high-Mach environments.

Advancing high-Mach autonomous capabilities

The Quarterhorse program, supported by funding from the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), targets speeds of Mach 3. Hermeus has maintained an aggressive development timeline, flying its first aircraft in 2025 and reaching supersonic speeds with the Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 exactly 364 days later. The company is currently preparing to fly the Mk 2.2 variant, which was constructed in under a year.

Anduril’s Lattice Software will serve as the core mission planning and execution engine for the Mk 2. Operators will interface with the aircraft using Anduril’s Menace-T command, control, communications, and computing (C4) solution. This system is already utilized by USAF operators to generate sorties with semi-autonomous aircraft.

Speaking to Breaking Defense, Hermeus Chief Executive Officer Zach Shore explained the operational necessity of the Partnerships and the need for scalable command-and-control systems.

“We now need to automate a lot of those flight controls. I want to be able to push a button, have the aircraft spin up, have the aircraft auto takeoff, all those basic features that allow one person to manage multiple platforms,” Shore told the publication.

Validating modular architecture for the CCA program

The agreement serves as a practical application of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) standard. By separating the airframe development from the autonomy software, the partnership mirrors the acquisition strategy of the USAF CCA program.

Anduril noted in its September 3 press release that the Hermeus contract validates this focus on modularity. Establishing a common standard ensures cross-compatibility between disparate hardware and software systems, which the company states will accelerate the deployment of autonomous Military-Aircraft.

Brett Darcey, Anduril’s General Manager and Vice President for Mission Autonomy in Air Dominance and Strike, emphasized the maturity of the integration in comments to Breaking Defense.

“We really want to emphasize the fullness of the stack. This isn’t just a mission autonomy science project. This is really readying the Quarterhorse for [autonomous operations],” Darcey stated.

AirPro News analysis

We view this integration as a critical test case for the Pentagon’s broader uncrewed Aviation strategy. If Anduril’s Lattice can successfully manage a third-party airframe operating at Mach 3, it will prove that the A-GRA standard is viable for extreme flight envelopes, not just subsonic loyal wingman platforms. The 2027 flight test will be a major milestone for both companies, potentially opening the door for Anduril to market its autonomy stack to other aerospace Manufacturers while allowing Hermeus to focus entirely on its high-speed propulsion and aerodynamic challenges.

Sources: Anduril Industries