Mach Industries targets microturbine market with new propulsion division

Mach Industries' Viper VTOL cruise missile. The company has established a new propulsion division to build microturbines for a variety of aerial platforms, potentially including future variants of the Viper. (Mach Industries)

Mach Industries has established a new division that will focus on developing and producing high-performance propulsion systems, according to a company statement on 20 March.

Mach Propulsion is intended to “accelerate the advancement of next-generation propulsion technologies”, the statement said. The factory will support both Mach Industries' products and those of other manufacturers, employing rapid prototyping and testing through the company's “iterative approach to expedite the design, testing, and mass manufacturing of propulsion technologies”, according to the statement.

The division will be led by Jeremy Klyde, an expert in microturbine engine design and manufacturing who previously served as director of propulsion at Anduril Industries, the statement said. There are plans to hire more than 30 engineers for the division, according to Mach Industries.

“With the defence industry's current deprioritisation of essential components like engines and warheads, Mach Industries is stepping up to create the next generation of propulsion technology and strengthen our competitive edge,” Klyde said in the statement.

Mach Propulsion will be “positioned to be the primary engine provider for the next generation of unmanned aerial systems”, with the goal of delivering advanced propulsion technologies to support vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) systems, cruise missiles, and other high-performance vehicles, the statement said.

Moving into propulsion

Established in 2023, the venture-backed Mach Industries aims to help address the need for mass in a peer or near-peer conflict and build “the most capable weapons across every domain”, Ethan Thornton, CEO and founder of Mach Industries, told Janes on 1 April.