Pentagon Pours $68M Into Hypersonic Tech: Here Are Five Firms Building the Hardware
Issued on behalf of Starfighters Space
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- USANewsGroup.com News Commentary – The Pentagon's Joint Hypersonics Transition Office has awarded $68 million across six vendors to accelerate next-generation technologies capable of traveling faster than Mach 5[1]. The U.S. Army has begun fielding Dark Eagle, the nation's first operational ground-launched hypersonic weapon, with delivery expected to complete in early 2026[2]. Companies positioned at the intersection of commercial aerospace and defense testing include Starfighters Space (NYSE-A: FJET), Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB), Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ:LUNR), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS), and Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY).
Even private capital is flowing into the sector, with hypersonic testing companies securing major institutional investment to expand production capacity and flight cadence[3]. As traditional government test ranges struggle to keep pace with development timelines, commercial operators with flight-proven supersonic and hypersonic platforms are drawing serious attention from defense agencies and prime contractors alike.
Starfighters Space (NYSE:FJET) recently completed wind tunnel testing for STARLAUNCH 1, the company's air-launched sub-orbital vehicle designed for short-duration microgravity missions. Testing evaluated separation behavior at Mach 0.85 and Mach 1.3 across ten successful runs, with results showing strong agreement between computational fluid dynamics predictions and experimental data.
The company has now initiated procurement of instrumented drop test articles to evaluate separation dynamics under actual flight conditions.
"Demonstrating clean, predictable separation across these flight regimes is a foundational requirement for an air-launched system," said Rick Svetkoff, CEO of Starfighters Space. "The close alignment between our simulations and the wind tunnel results gives us confidence in the underlying design and allows us to proceed methodically to the next phase of testing."
Starfighters also recently completed a supersonic flight test campaign for GE Aerospace, in which a Starfighters F-104 aircraft carried an advanced propulsion test vehicle at supersonic speeds during three captive carry missions from Kennedy Space Center.
The work supports GE Aerospace's Atmospheric Test of Launched Air-breathing System (ATLAS) program, which is focused on advancing solid fuel ramjet propulsion technology. The ATLAS program receives funding from the U.S. Department of Defense under Title III of the Defense Production Act.
"The Starfighters team provided a reliable, flight-ready supersonic platform that enabled us to conduct multiple captive carry flights in realistic atmospheric conditions," said Mark Rettig, VP and GM of Edison Works Business and Technology Development at GE Aerospace. "Commercially operated test aircraft like Starfighters play an important role in accelerating development timelines by allowing repeatable, flexible flight testing outside of traditional range constraints."
Starfighters believes its fleet of F-104 aircraft is the only commercial fleet in the free world capable of carrying underwing test payloads at speeds greater than Mach 2, or more than 1,500 miles per hour.
In other industry developments:
Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) recently announced preparations for its fourth hypersonic test mission in under six months, a dedicated HASTE launch named Cassowary Vex for the Defense Innovation Unit and Hypersonix. The mission, scheduled from Launch Complex 2 at Wallops Island, Virginia, will deploy the scramjet-powered DART AE vehicle, with HASTE supporting flight profiles up to Mach 20.
Now the company has positioned its HASTE suborbital launch vehicle as a rapid, flexible platform for hypersonic and defense testing, offering an alternative to traditional government test infrastructure. Rocket Lab continues to expand its Electron launch cadence alongside HASTE, with over 80 missions completed to date.
Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ:LUNR) recently completed its acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems, formerly Maxar Space Systems, for $800 million in a combination of cash and stock. The acquisition positions Intuitive Machines as a vertically integrated next-generation space prime contractor capable of building spacecraft, connecting resilient communications and navigation networks, and operating systems across LEO, MEO, GEO, and cislunar space.
"This acquisition marks a defining moment in the evolution of Intuitive Machines," said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. "We previously proved our ability to operate on the Moon. With Lanteris, we add flight-proven manufacturing at scale."
Intuitive Machines also successfully soft-landed two Nova-C class lunar landers in 2024 and 2025, returning the United States to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The Lanteris acquisition strengthens the company's ability to service Golden Dome, Space Development Agency layered architecture, and NASA's Artemis and Lunar Terrain Vehicle initiatives.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (NASDAQ:KTOS) recently received contract awards valued at approximately $65 million to design, develop and deliver simulators and training solutions for warfighter operations across multiple aircraft platforms. Contracts include awards from the U.S. Department of War as well as allied nations.
"2025 was another growth year for Kratos, particularly in the domain of air-based system platforms," said Jose Diaz, SVP of Kratos Training Solutions. "Our customers deeply appreciate our successful delivery of cost-effective solutions that produce highly effective training outcomes."
Kratos continues to expand its defense portfolio beyond training into unmanned aerial systems and hypersonic technology, with the company delivering simulation and training solutions across ground combat, subsurface naval, surface navy, and unmanned combat aerial systems throughout 2025.
Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY) recently announced an agreement to acquire a manufacturing facility in the Dayton, Ohio area spanning more than 700,000 square feet. The facility will initially support Joby's plans to double production to four aircraft per month in 2027, while also providing space for significant future growth.
"This site will not only support our near-term plan to double production, it can also serve as a base for significant future growth, as we turn a decade of engineering into the manufacturing scale the market is now demanding," said JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation.
Joby completed landmark flights in Dubai in 2025 and plans to begin carrying passengers in 2026. The company has also partnered with L3Harris to pursue defense applications for autonomous hybrid VTOL aircraft, expanding its addressable market beyond commercial air mobility.
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SOURCES:
2. https://defensescoop.com/2026/01/21/dark-eagle-hypersonic-weapon-army-fielding-plans/
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