On February 11, 2025,Archer Aviation—an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startup—announced that it has raised $300 million from investors like Wellington and BlackRock to further itsmilitary ambitions.
This funding follows $430 million raised in December to expand the Archer Defense program, which was set up in 2023 to develop advancedeVTOL aircraftfor defense purposes.
About Archer Aviation
Based in California and founded in 2018, Archer has until now mainly focused on urban air mobility with its commercial air taxis. After bagging a $1 billion order from United Airlines and a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) merger, the company went public in late 2021.
Likely due to current geopolitical tensions or simply the realization that there’s money in defense (or both), Archer is now shifting its attention towards militaryapplications. To date, the company has amassed a hefty $3.36 billion infunding.
Military Contracts
Governments are increasingly looking for innovative military solutions, and Archer wants to be the go-to name in the eVTOL defense space. The company has partnered with Anduril, a military tech firm, to create a hybrid gas-and-electric VTOL aircraft designed for defense missions.
Last year, Archer was awarded a $142 millionAFWERX Agility Prime contractfor the U.S. Air Force to evaluate its aircraft for military applications. The contract includes six deliveries, the first of which was delivered in August 2024. The company is also hoping to secure a "program of record” from the Department of Defense, which means guaranteed funding and long-term contracts.
Defense eVTOLs
eVTOLs have several perks that make them ideal for a range of defense applications. At the top of its defense offerings is Archer’s Midnight aircraft, designed to carry a pilot, four passengers, and luggage while completing consecutive flights of 20–50 miles with minimal recharging.
These aircraft are versatile and fast; they can smoothly switch from vertical lift to horizontal flight, and have a top speed of 150 mph. The Midnight features six independent battery packs, each supporting two electric engines, and 12 smaller propellers that spin more slowly than helicopter rotors. This design makes it up to 100 times quieter than a helicopter at cruising altitude, allowing it to blend into urban noise—a plus for military operations and stealth missions.
Archer’s Plans
Archer may be taking on defense, but it hasn’t abandoned its urban mobility goal of having electric air taxis in major cities. The company still aims to launch a small network in the UAE by late 2025, expanding to areas likeLos Angeles, New York, and Seoul in 2026.
With its new 350,000-square-foot factory inGeorgiaalmost complete, Archer plans to produce up to 10 eVTOLs this year, eventually scaling to 650 a year by 2030.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/T. Schneider
