Archer Aviation Inc. ACHR is broadening its aircraft portfolio with Halo, a commercial variant of a jointly developed autonomous VTOL platform with Anduril Industries. In July 2026, Archer Aviation unveiled Halo at the Farnborough International Airshow, positioning the platform to serve commercial applications alongside its defense-oriented Thunder variant. The dual-use approach allows Archer Aviation to leverage technologies developed through its existing aircraft program across multiple applications.
Halo and Thunder share the same airframe, hybrid powertrain and core systems, with configurable payloads based on mission requirements. The platform uses a series hybrid-electric powertrain and dual tiltrotors designed to improve efficiency across different flight conditions. It can also be transported using standard shipping containers by air, road, rail or sea, providing flexibility for deployment across different locations.
The platform builds on eight years of Archer Aviation's eVTOL development and flight-testing experience, including work in aircraft design, powertrain engineering and manufacturing. Its design is also intended to support low-cost, high-volume production through commercial supply chains. This could allow Archer Aviation to leverage its existing technological base while addressing a broader set of aircraft applications.
Archer Aviation's dual-use strategy could broaden the potential applications of its aircraft technologies beyond passenger air mobility. By developing a common platform for commercial and defense requirements, the company can pursue multiple markets while reusing core aircraft systems and manufacturing capabilities. The addition of Marubeni Aerospace Corporation as a strategic launch partner further supports the commercial development of Halo.
Companies Expanding Dual-Use Autonomous Aircraft Capabilities
The aerospace industry is increasingly developing autonomous aircraft platforms that can support multiple mission requirements. Companies like Joby Aviation, Inc. JOBY and EHang Holdings EH are also advancing autonomous aircraft technologies for future commercial and specialized applications.
Joby Aviation is developing autonomous aircraft capabilities alongside its broader eVTOL platform, aiding potential applications beyond conventional piloted air-taxi operations.
EHang develops autonomous eVTOL aircraft designed to support passenger transportation, logistics and other applications.
Earnings Estimates for ACHR Stock
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 earnings per share suggests a year-over-year decline of 57.14% and growth of 9.76%, respectively.
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ACHR Stock Is Trading at a Discount
Archer Aviation is trading at a discount relative to the industry, with a trailing 12-month price-to-book of 2.54X compared with the industry average of 6.52X.
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ACHR Stock Price Performance
Over the past month, ACHR shares have rallied 19% compared with the industry’s 10.9% growth.
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ACHR’s Zacks Rank
Archer Aviation currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).