Cummings Aerospace

What Cummings Aerospace does

Cummings Aerospace is a Huntsville, Alabama-based defense and aerospace systems engineering firm founded in 2009 by Sheila Cummings, a Lumbee Tribe member, as a Native American Woman-Owned Small Business. The company operates four U.S. facilities (Huntsville, Largo FL, Niceville FL, and Tucson AZ) with 101-250 employees and holds AS9100 Rev D certification, placing it among an elite class of small businesses with certified Quality Management Systems. Cummings generates revenue from two principal streams: defense systems engineering services, where it acts as a subcontractor on production programs such as the U.S. Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) supporting Collins Aerospace, and weapon system product sales, anchored by the Hellhound family of unmanned aircraft systems.

The company's core engineering capabilities span model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation (including threat, interceptor, sensor, propulsion, and orbital mechanics models), digital engineering (structural, thermal, electrical, and RF design via finite element analysis and simulation tools), software development using Agile Scrum, and precision manufacturing including polymer-based 3D printing, CNC machining, electronics integration, and IPC-620 cable manufacturing. Its flagship product, the Hellhound S3, is a turbojet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone (loitering munition) designed for the U.S. Army's LASSO program; it exceeds 375 mph (validated at 384 mph in flight testing), weighs under 25 pounds for man-portable single-soldier deployment, and uses a twist-and-lock modular payload system enabling tool-free swap between warhead, Electronic Warfare, and ISR configurations in under 5 minutes. The Hellhound airframe has been validated to TRL-7 and a new anti-armor warhead was arena-tested in April 2026 with penetration confirmed at ranges exceeding 60 km.

Cummings pursues an enterprise field sales motion targeting U.S. military branches and prime contractors through direct engagement, competitive program procurements (such as LASSO), subcontractor relationships with primes like Collins Aerospace, and demonstrations at defense industry events. International expansion is executed through strategic partnerships, notably with Australia's Criterion Solutions for the Indo-Pacific allied market and with ATRX for development of supersonic and hypersonic UAS variants. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with government contracting norms.

Name

Cummings Aerospace

Legal name

Cummings Aerospace

Website

https://cummingsaerospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cummings Aerospace is a Native American Woman-Owned Small Business providing defense systems engineering services and weapon system products, primarily the Hellhound S3 turbojet-powered loitering munition, to U.S. military branches and prime contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Systems Engineering

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Military Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Military ISR, EW & SIGINT Payloads (Airborne) (IMABAMAF), Military Avionics, Mission Computers & Flight Controls (IMABAMAE)

Keywords

• Defense systems engineering
• Loitering munition drones
• Model-based systems engineering
• Additive manufacturing defense
• Aerospace engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Defense Systems Engineering Services: Providing sophisticated systems engineering, software engineering, and cyber security support as a subcontractor to prime contractors like Collins Aerospace on production programs like the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC).
2. Weapon System Products: End-to-end product development and delivery of weapons systems including the Hellhound S3 loitering munition. Revenue from sale of manufactured defense products to U.S. military branches.
3. International Defense Partnerships: Collaborative development partnerships with international defense firms like Criterion Solutions for Australian market, enabling production and distribution of defense solutions internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cummings Aerospace is a defense and aerospace systems engineering firm that delivers model-based systems engineering, modeling & simulation, digital engineering, software development, precision manufacturing, and systems integration & test services to U.S. military customers and defense prime contractors. Its flagship product is the Hellhound S3, a turbojet-powered, 3D-printed, man-portable loitering munition designed for the U.S. Army's LASSO program, featuring a modular payload system enabling tool-free swap between warhead, electronic warfare, and ISR payloads in under 5 minutes. The company also provides subcontractor engineering support on the U.S. Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) program alongside Collins Aerospace.

Product overview

Cummings Aerospace is a Native American Woman-Owned Small Business defense and aerospace engineering firm that offers both end-to-end products and engineering services. Their flagship product is the Hellhound family of unmanned aircraft systems, with the Hellhound S3 being their first end-to-end product—a turbojet-powered, 3D-printed kamikaze drone featuring modular payload capability. The company also provides defense systems engineering services including model-based systems engineering, modeling and simulation, digital engineering, software development, precision manufacturing, and systems integration and test. Their service portfolio spans missile systems, hypersonic vehicles, radars, and command and control systems. The Hellhound products are designed for the U.S. Army's LASSO program and support multiple military branches including Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hellhound: Family of turbojet-powered, 3D-printed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) designed for loitering munitions, strike missions, ISR, and electronic warfare. Includes Hellhound S3 variant designed for U.S. Army's LASSO program.
• Hellhound S3

Products and services

• Hellhound S3 Loitering Munition A turbojet-powered, 3D-printed, man-portable (under 25 lbs) kamikaze drone designed for the U.S. Army's LASSO program. Reaches speeds exceeding 375 mph and features a modular twist-and-lock payload system allowing tool-free swap between warhead, Electronic Warfare, and ISR payloads in under 5 minutes.
• Hellhound Family of UAS A family of turbojet-powered, 3D-printed unmanned aircraft systems designed for loitering munitions, strike, ISR, and electronic warfare missions, with multiple specialized variants and 3D-printed modular airframes enabling rapid production scaling.
• Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) Engineering Support Subcontractor engineering services to Collins Aerospace for the U.S. Navy's CEC program, providing sophisticated software engineering and systems and cyber security support for the fielded sensor network that shares sensor data to create a unified air defense picture.
• Digital Engineering Services Integrated systems engineering using digital modeling, simulation, and digital twins across disciplines (structural FEA, thermal, electrical, RF) for rapid design exploration and tradeoff evaluation across defense aerospace programs.
• Precision Manufacturing Services AS9100 Rev D-certified manufacturing services including precision CNC machining, electronics integration with soldering and RF component testing, IPC-620-certified cable manufacturing, polymer-based 3D printing, and custom wire harness construction for defense programs.
• Systems Integration & Test Services Model-based systems integration and test services including test plan and documentation generation, ground and flight test execution, post-test analysis, assembly/integration process definition, and prototype production support.
• Defense Software Development Services Agile Scrum-based defense software development with rigorous testing and verification, peer reviews, automated testing, and metrics tracking for mission-critical defense applications.
• Modeling & Simulation Services Modeling and simulation of aerospace vehicles from campaign-level analysis to detailed subsystem trade studies, covering threats, interceptors, sensors, communications, battle management, aerodynamics, propulsion, RF/IR propagation, environmental effects, and orbital mechanics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hellhound S3 reached 384 mph during flight tests, demonstrating ability to engage time-critical targets faster than quadcopters
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ATRXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2025Cummings Aerospace and ATRX signed agreement to collaborate on developing high-speed unmanned aircraft systems. Partnership integrates ATRX's Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) propulsion system capable of hypersonic speeds (5x speed of sound) with Cummings Aerospace's Hellhound airframe. Goal is to develop affordable UAS that can fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds, with potential applications for spaceplane technology that can take off and land from any runway.
• Criterion SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2023Partnership between Cummings Aerospace and Criterion Solutions (Canberra, Australia) to develop defense technology solutions for the Australian market. Combines Criterion Solutions' intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and systems integration expertise with Cummings Aerospace's system design capabilities. Solutions would be produced and distributed in Australia, supporting Australian national security and U.S.-Australia defense cooperation objectives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AeroVironment: Established defense UAS manufacturer and prime contractor behind the Switchblade loitering munition family. Most directly comparable to Cummings' Hellhound product line, competing head-to-head for Army LASSO and adjacent precision-strike programs.
• Anduril Industries: Well-capitalized defense technology company building autonomous UAS including the Roadrunner counter-UAS interceptor. Competes with Cummings in loitering munitions and counter-UAS, with substantially greater funding and engineering scale.
• Shield AI: AI-enabled defense UAS company fielding the V-BAT and Hivemind autonomy stack. Competes with Cummings in autonomous military UAS and has raised significant private capital, positioning it as a well-funded counterpoint in similar mission areas.
• Parsons Corporation: Mid-to-large defense engineering services and systems integrator providing model-based systems engineering, software, and mission solutions to DoD. Closely comparable to Cummings' defense engineering services business line at significantly larger scale.
• Leidos Holdings: Large defense and IT services prime supplying systems engineering, software development, and integration support to Navy, Army, and intelligence customers. Comparable to Cummings as a defense engineering services provider, with adjacent UAS and counter-UAS programs.
• SAIC: Major defense IT and engineering services contractor with deep Navy and Army engineering support portfolios. Comparable to Cummings as a DoD systems engineering and software subcontractor, operating at meaningfully larger scale.
• CACI International: Defense services prime providing systems engineering, software, and cyber security support to DoD and intelligence customers. Comparable to Cummings' CEC-related engineering services work while operating at substantially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Public defense prime with a portfolio spanning target drones, tactical UAS, and hypersonic propulsion test articles. Comparable to Cummings as a military UAS manufacturer while operating at materially larger scale and breadth.
• General Atomics: Defense prime producing the Predator, Reaper, and Avenger military UAS families plus hypersonic and directed-energy programs. Comparable to Cummings as a fixed-wing military UAS manufacturer while operating at significantly larger scale and breadth.
• L3Harris Technologies: Large defense prime spanning communications, avionics, and unmanned systems including unmanned surface and aerial platforms. Comparable to Cummings as a defense avionics and UAS-adjacent supplier with significantly broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cummings-aerospace
• Xx.com/cummingsaero

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cummings Aerospace