WASHINGTON — AEVEX Aerospace presented a full-scale mock-up of “Specter,” its new turbojet-powered One-Way Attack (OWA) uncrewed aerial system, at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting. Co-developed in strategic partnership with Divergent Technologies, the platform utilizes additive manufacturing to enable rapid design iteration and high-rate automated production.
Concurrently, AEVEX announced the establishment of its AEVEX Maritime Systems division following the $650M acquisition of BlackSea Technologies. The expansion unifies AEVEX’s aerial loitering munition family (including the Phoenix Ghost and Disruptor lines) with uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and uncrewed underwater vessels (UUVs) to offer multi-domain uncrewed strike capabilities in electronic warfare (EW) and GNSS-denied environments.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: AEVEX SPECTER JET-POWERED OWA UAS 
* Prime Integrator & Manufacturing Partners:
* Platform Prime: AEVEX Aerospace (Solana Beach, CA)
* Structural Engineering & Additive Manufacturing: Divergent Technologies (DAPS digital production architecture)
* Solid Rocket Booster Supplier: X-Bow Systems (Rocket-Assisted Takeoff / RATO units)
* Propulsion & Airframe Architecture:
* Engine Type: Modular single-shaft miniature turbojet engine
* Deployment Configurations: Ground-launched via pneumatic/RATO rail or air-launched from stand-off transport platforms
* Airframe Construction: Digitally printed 3D alloy and composite structures optimizing strength-to-weight ratio and high-rate output
* Autonomy & Mission Avionics Suite:
* Autonomy Engine: AEVEX CompassX Autonomy Software Suite
* Navigation Capabilities: Optical flow, visual inertial odometry, and terrain-matching for GPS-denied and heavily jammed electromagnetic operational environments
* Payload Configuration & Adaptability:
* Modular Architecture: Swappable nose cone module designed for rapid field changes
* Mission Payloads: High-Explosive (HE) blast-fragmentation/shaped-charge warheads, active Electronic Warfare (EW) jammers, or ISR electro-optical sensor suites
* Defense Portfolio Expansion (AEVEX Maritime Systems):
* Newly Formed Division: AEVEX Maritime Systems ($650M acquisition of BlackSea Technologies)
* Capability Expansion: Multi-domain portfolio bridging air-launched loitering munitions, USVs, and UUVs for littoral combat operations
