Archer shares jump as Anduril defense aircraft takes the spotlight

Archer Aviation shares moved sharply higher Monday after the company showed investors a new defense aircraft built with Anduril, adding a military angle to a business better known for air taxis. CNBC’s market data showed Archer stock up 18.47%, while CNBC also reported the shares had rallied more than 12%.

The company unveiled Thunder, an autonomous vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developed with defense technology company Anduril, at the Farnborough Air Show in the U.K., according to CNBC. Vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL, means an aircraft can lift off and land without a runway, similar to a helicopter.

Thunder is designed for defense use and can accompany piloted aircraft and helicopters, CNBC reported. Archer and Anduril first announced their partnership in 2024.

For retail investors, the move matters because Archer is trying to show it has more than one path to market. Its core commercial plan depends on certifying electric air taxis for city travel, a process that has taken longer than the industry once expected. Defense applications could move on a different track because, according to Archer CEO Adam Goldstein, they do not require the same certification process as commercial aircraft.

Archer keeps its 2028 target in focus

Goldstein told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau that Archer remains focused on getting its air taxis certified and flying by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s always been an ambitious goal,” Goldstein told CNBC on Monday. “It’s still an ambitious goal, but we’re certainly going to try our hardest to get there.”

Certification is the regulatory approval process that allows an aircraft to operate commercially. For Archer and other electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, companies, that approval is central to turning prototypes into revenue-generating transportation services.

CNBC reported that regulatory and infrastructure hurdles have delayed certification timelines across the eVTOL industry. Infrastructure includes the physical pieces needed to operate the service, such as places to take off, land, charge and handle passengers.

Goldstein said a new eVTOL pilot program from President Donald Trump’s administration is helping the sector. CNBC reported the program is aimed at speeding deployment, with testing across 26 states.

“This is really critical to gaining the trust of the public and the trust of the regulators that will ultimately lead to our certification,” Goldstein told CNBC. “That step is going to be hugely critical in order to allow us to meet those timelines.”

Defense becomes a bigger part of the pitch

Archer is known for developing electric aircraft intended to reduce emissions and traffic in dense urban areas, according to CNBC. The Thunder launch puts more attention on military uses, as the U.S. armed forces invest in battlefield technology and artificial intelligence tools.

Goldstein described defense as a “huge market” for Archer, citing geopolitical tensions abroad, CNBC reported.

“The applications we can bring in the defense world are quite impressive and very much needed for the warfighter,” he told CNBC.

The investor question is now split across two timelines: whether Archer can meet its commercial certification goal by 2028, and how quickly its defense work with Anduril can become a meaningful business. CNBC reported that Archer is pursuing both as the broader eVTOL industry works through regulation, testing and public acceptance.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.