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美軍DIU選定Mach Industries　打造新一代遠程打擊海上無人機(圖片取自Mach Industries)

美國國防創新單位（DIU）宣布，已選定國防科技新創公司 Mach Industries 擔任「跑道獨立海上遠征打擊系統」（Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike，RIMES）計畫的主要飛行載具整合商，負責整體研發、系統整合與專案執行工作。

此項決定源於美國海軍今年2月發布的需求案。海軍希望取得一款能夠在極少基礎設施支援下完成起降與回收、具備長程打擊能力，並可於獲得合約後12個月內完成實體原型驗證的海上無人機系統。

The US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has selected Mach Industries as the aircraft integrator for the Runway Independent Maritime Expeditionary Strike (RIMES) program, placing the company in charge of overall development, integration, and execution.

The selection follows a US Navy solicitation issued in February, seeking a maritime drone capable of launching and recovering with minimal infrastructure, conducting long-range strike missions, and delivering significant physical prototypes within 12 months of contract award.

攜手Whisper Aero開發Atlas　強化未來遠征作戰能力

總部位於加州的Mach Industries將與田納西州航太新創公司Whisper Aero合作，共同設計與開發新世代無人機平台Atlas。

Mach Industries總裁暨策略長Nathan Diller表示，結合Mach快速原型開發與量產能力，以及Whisper Aero創新的空氣動力與推進技術，Atlas有望成為革命性的空中機動作戰平台。

Mach Industries will partner with Tennessee-based aerospace startup Whisper Aero to design and deliver the next-generation Atlas aircraft.

According to Nathan Diller, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Mach Industries, the combination of Mach’s rapid prototyping and production capabilities with Whisper Aero’s advanced aerodynamic and propulsion technologies will make Atlas a revolutionary air mobility platform.

Atlas性能曝光　兼具長航程、低噪音與高生存力

混合動力設計　可搭載454公斤酬載

根據規劃，Atlas無人機將具備更遠航程、更低噪音特性，以及低成本大規模生產能力。機體採用大幅簡化的零組件設計與高度冗餘推進架構，在降低維護需求的同時，也能維持飛行安全與作戰可靠性。

Atlas採用混合電力推進系統，符合RIMES計畫需求，可攜帶1,000磅（約454公斤）酬載，並擁有1,400浬（約2,593公里）作戰航程。

Atlas is being developed to achieve longer operational range, lower acoustic signature, and affordable mass production.

The aircraft features a significantly reduced part count and a highly redundant propulsion architecture, simplifying maintenance while maintaining operational safety and reliability.

Powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system, Atlas meets RIMES requirements by carrying a 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) payload while achieving a range of 1,400 nautical miles (2,593 kilometers).

JetFoil推進技術加持　兼顧固定翼與旋翼機優勢

Atlas將整合Whisper Aero研發的JetFoil推進系統。該系統可應用於傳統固定翼、短場起降（STOL）及垂直起降（VTOL）飛行器，兼具低噪音與高效率特性。

Whisper Aero指出，JetFoil即使在15節（約28公里／時）的低速飛行狀態下，仍可產生高達40的升力係數，大幅提升低速飛行與短距起降能力。

憑藉此項技術，Atlas可在未經整備的簡易場地起降，具備類似旋翼機的部署彈性，同時保有固定翼飛機的飛行效率與操控性能。此外，其垂直飛行所需推重比不到傳統VTOL飛行器的一半，有助提升續航力與載重表現。

Atlas will integrate Whisper Aero’s JetFoil propulsion technology, which is designed for conventional aircraft, short takeoff and landing (STOL), and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms while maintaining quiet and efficient operations.

According to Whisper Aero, JetFoil can generate a lift coefficient of 40 even at low speeds of 15 knots (28 km/h), significantly improving low-speed flight and short-field performance.

This capability enables Atlas to operate from austere and unimproved landing zones like a rotary-wing aircraft while maintaining the efficiency and controllability of a fixed-wing platform. The system also requires less than half the thrust-to-weight ratio typically needed for vertical flight, improving endurance and payload capacity.

若Atlas成功完成RIMES計畫驗證，將有機會成為美軍未來分散式遠征作戰的重要無人平台。其兼具長程打擊、低噪音滲透、簡易部署與低成本量產等特性，符合美軍近年強調的「高存活性、可大量部署」無人作戰概念，未來可能廣泛應用於海上打擊、後勤補給與前沿基地支援等任務。

If Atlas successfully completes RIMES development and testing, it could become a key platform in future US distributed expeditionary operations. Its combination of long-range strike capability, low acoustic signature, austere-field operations, and scalable production aligns closely with the US military’s growing emphasis on survivable and mass-deployable unmanned systems for maritime strike, logistics, and forward-operating support missions.