Kustov is a Forbes-listed billionaire with an estimated net worth of around $1.1 billion. His Efko group owns a number of popular consumer food brands in Russia, including the Sloboda line of mayonnaise, ketchups and sunflower oils, as well as the Altero oil brand.
The deal brings together Archer’s work on electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, unmanned aircraft and artificial intelligence with Boeing’s investments in autonomous flight and defence technologies.
The week-long Dragon Rider trials were conducted by the Maritime Aviation Strike Operational Advantage Group (formally the Wildcat Maritime Force) and linked a specially modified Wildcat helicopter with multiple unmanned aerial systems.
Instead of carrying battery packs as separate components, the system stores electrical energy directly inside the airframe’s crossbeams.
The expanded facility will increase ePropelled's propulsion system production capacity by more than 4X, enabling the company to meet rapidly growing demand from U.S. government programs, allied partners, and commercial drone manufacturers seeking secure, American-made propulsion solutions.