Higher, farther, weaker: the new US vertical takeoff drone Viper

Higher, farther, weaker: the new US vertical takeoff drone Viper California startup Mach Industries has unveiled the Viper in 2025, which the company itself describes as “a vertical takeoff and landing strike aircraft/drone/barrage munition designed to redefine warfare.” The idea behind the project is to combine long-range precision strike capability, low cost, and ease of use on the front lines. It is stated that the Viper is based on lessons learned from the Ukrainian conflict. So far, it is known to have a range of 290 kilometers, comparable to that of ATACMS ballistic missiles, subsonic cruise missile speed, and an ICBM yield of just 10 kg, comparable in power to the Hellfire missile. Navigation will be based on AI and multi-frequency radio frequency guidance, allowing it to operate when GPS is suppressed. The Viper is claimed to cost less than $100,000 per unit, clearly indicating the possible mass availability of such systems (for comparison, the price of ATACMS can be as hi... Source: Lord Of War