VulcanForms and Specter Aerospace Partner on Hypersonic Manufacturing

VulcanForms Inc. and Specter Aerospace have formed a strategic partnerships to establish a dedicated domestic manufacturing base for airbreathing hypersonic weapons, aiming to scale production of munitions, interceptors, and cruise missiles for the U.S. Department of War (DoW).

Announced in a press release on September 15, 2026, the collaboration responds to growing demands from Congress and defense officials for resilient supply chains capable of delivering all-up-round (AUR) hypersonic systems. The companies are currently conducting a nationwide site evaluation to select a location for the new production facility.

Integrating advanced manufacturing with hypersonic design

The partnership pairs VulcanForms, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-born advanced manufacturing company specializing in metal additive manufacturing and precision machining, with Specter Aerospace’s propulsion expertise. Specter, formerly known as FGC Plasma Solutions, focuses on ramjet and scramjet technologies.

Specter Aerospace Chief Executive Officer Felipe Gomez del Campo stated that the company has spent nearly a decade building airbreathing hypersonic missiles and targets in collaboration with the DoW.

“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,” Gomez del Campo said.

VulcanForms Executive Vice President Matthew Rose emphasized the need for a resilient defense industrial base, noting that the company’s experience across multiple commercial industries accelerates its learning curve.

“Partnerships that win embrace physical AI and leverage lessons from commercial industries. Our north star is to bridge the digital and physical worlds,” Rose said.

Accelerating flight test timelines

The manufacturing agreement follows a period of rapid expansion for Specter Aerospace’s defense partnerships. On February 20, 2026, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to develop supersonic aerial launched effects, combining Specter’s propulsion systems with SNC’s mission integration capabilities.

According to reporting by Aviation Week, Specter expects to conduct test-flights of a plasma-assisted, ramjet-powered supersonic missile in 2026. This will be followed by tests of a larger dual-mode ramjet-scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise vehicle targeted for the 2027 to 2028 timeframe. The new manufacturing partnership with VulcanForms is positioned to support the production requirements of these upcoming test phases and subsequent fielding.

AirPro News analysis

We view this partnership as a direct response to one of the most persistent bottlenecks in the U.S. hypersonic weapons program: transitioning from bespoke prototyping to scalable production. While research and development have yielded successful flight tests across various DoW programs, manufacturing the complex geometries required for scramjet engines and thermal protection systems at scale remains a significant hurdle. By integrating VulcanForms’ industrial-scale additive manufacturing infrastructure early in the development cycle, Specter Aerospace is positioning itself to bypass traditional supply-chain constraints. If the nationwide site selection results in a dedicated, high-throughput facility, it could serve as a blueprint for the broader Defense Industrial Base 2.0 initiative.

Sources: VulcanForms