AEVEX Corp. announced a new high-speed, autonomous aircraft powered by a turbojet engine called Specter. The aircraft is built as a one-way attack platform, meant to handle tough, contested environments and long missions.

To build this, AEVEX partnered with an advanced manufacturing company, Divergent. Together, the companies aim to create a system that is easy to update and scale for mass production.

Swappable Parts for Different Uses

Photo: AEVEX

What makes Specter stand out is its modular design. Instead of building a completely new aircraft every time a mission changes, AEVEX gave Specter a swappable nose section. This means operators can easily change what the drone carries. For example, it can hold equipment for electronic warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, or kinetic strikes.

Advertisement

Since it relies on a turbojet propulsion system, Specter can be launched from the ground or from the air. AEVEX wants to make it easy to plug in new technology later on without redesigning the entire system.

The company used its experience to shape this approach. After deploying thousands of unmanned systems and using its CompassX autonomy software, AEVEX learned that drones need to be adaptable above all else.

Built Different

To ensure Specter can be built efficiently, AEVEX is using Divergent’s digital manufacturing platform, DAPS. This system helps speed up the design and production process right from the early engineering stages. It allows the team to test new ideas quickly and ensures the aircraft is ready for large-scale manufacturing.

“Specter reflects our lessons learned on capability from delivering thousands of autonomous systems in theater,” Manan Patel, Chief Technology Officer at AEVEX, explained. “We are not optimizing for a fixed requirement; we are building an architecture that adapts. Specter is designed to evolve with mission demands, payload technologies, and manufacturing advances over time.”