Hermeus announced that its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft successfully completed its first supersonic flight, reaching Mach 1.21 during its third test flight over White Sands Missile Range airspace from Spaceport America. The company said the achievement highlights its rapid, iterative development approach, with the aircraft reaching supersonic speed less than three months after its first flight.

The aircraft is part of Hermeus’ development roadmap of F-16-scale supersonic vehicles powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine. The company emphasized that it is already preparing follow-on prototypes (Mk 2.2 and Mk 2.3) aimed at progressively higher performance and faster development cycles.

Hermeus described the milestone as significant for advancing high-speed military aviation, noting growing US defense interest in faster unmanned aircraft for contested environments and rapid response capabilities.