New US customer order expands Orbital’s autonomous aviation footprint
Orbital Corporation (ASX: OEC) has received an order from US autonomous cargo aircraft developer MightyFly for three Orbital HFE propulsion systems. The engines will support MightyFly’s next phase of aircraft development and flight testing as it advances its autonomous cargo aircraft platform towards commercial deployment.
Deliveries are scheduled for September 2026. The order expands Orbital’s commercial customer base and provides exposure to the rapidly emerging autonomous middle-mile logistics market, where a development-stage customer carries the potential to scale into a longer-term production relationship.
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Inside the MightyFly order
The initial order comprises three high-capacity Orbital HFE (heavy fuel engine) propulsion systems. Two engines will support flight testing, while one engine is dedicated to ground-based development and validation.
Orbital has framed the order as the next phase of MightyFly’s aircraft development program as it continues to scale its autonomous cargo aircraft platform for commercial operations. Successful completion of that development program is expected to support the next stage of aircraft production.
As MightyFly expands its fleet to meet growing commercial demand, Orbital sees potential for the program to generate follow-on propulsion system orders.
Follow-on production orders have materialised quickly in comparable Orbital customer relationships; the AiRanger program, for example, generated a second purchase within weeks of first flight, lifting cumulative contracts to eight systems and opening a pathway to Power by the Hour aftermarket income.
Key facts from the order include:
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3 x Orbital HFE propulsion systems
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2 engines allocated to flight testing
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1 engine dedicated to ground-based development and validation
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Delivery scheduled for September 2026
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Pathway to potential follow-on production orders
Stephen Pearce, CEO, Orbital Corporation Limited
“…This order is an important first step in what we expect will become a broader commercial relationship. The initial three propulsion systems will support MightyFly’s aircraft development and flight test program, providing a pathway to future production opportunities as the platform progresses towards commercial deployment. In our experience, commercial autonomous aviation programs can move from development to production more quickly than traditional defence procurement programs, which is part of what makes this an attractive growth market for Orbital.”
Who is MightyFly and why the market matters
MightyFly is a San Francisco Bay Area aerospace company developing autonomous hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft to enable resilient middle-mile logistics for commercial, government and defence applications.
Middle-mile logistics refers to the transport of time-critical, high-value cargo between distribution centres, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, military bases and remote or austere locations. MightyFly’s platform is designed to deliver fast, reliable and autonomous logistics across healthcare, industrial supply chains, defence sustainment and emergency response.
The company has completed more than 400 autonomous flights. In 2025, MightyFly demonstrated its autonomous cargo aircraft for the US Air Force under the AFWERX SBIR Phase II program, highlighting the platform’s capability across both commercial and defence logistics.
According to MightyFly’s own public announcements, the company has announced commercial agreements and a Letter of Intent exceeding US$270 million. This figure relates to MightyFly’s own commercial pipeline and is not the value of Orbital’s order, which has not been disclosed.
For investors, the relevance lies in the market opportunity. A fast-growing commercial segment offers a pathway for a development-stage supplier relationship to potentially scale into long-term production opportunities over time.
What the win means for Orbital
The order sits within Orbital’s stated strategy of building a diversified portfolio of autonomous aviation customers across both commercial and defence markets, capable of transitioning from development programs to long-term production opportunities.
Orbital has stated the order validates its HFE propulsion system for next-generation autonomous cargo aircraft. The company has over 40 years of engineering heritage and more than 1.2 million proven in-field service hours across multiple Tier 1 defence customers.
| Fact | Investor significance |
|---|---|
| Order: 3 HFE propulsion systems | Establishes a new commercial customer relationship |
| Delivery: September 2026 | Supports flight testing and aircraft development program |
| Follow-on potential: fleet expansion orders | Pathway from development to recurring production |
| Market: autonomous middle-mile cargo | Exposure to a rapidly emerging growth sector |
Orbital’s engineering credentials at a glance
Orbital is a Perth, Western Australia-based designer and manufacturer of integrated heavy fuel propulsion systems for Group 2 and Group 3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a recognised global leader in UAV heavy fuel engine technology.
Key proof points include:
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40+ years of engineering heritage
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1.2 million+ proven in-field service hours
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Tier 1 defence customers including Boeing and Textron Systems
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Patented Flex DI™ direct injection, delivering up to 40% greater fuel efficiency than conventional injection systems
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Multi-fuel capability (JP-5/8, Jet-A, gasoline), a 750-hour Time Between Overhaul, and cold-start capability within two minutes
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In-production engine range spanning 50cc to 350cc HFE
What comes next
In the near term, Orbital is scheduled to deliver the three engines in September 2026, supporting MightyFly’s flight test and aircraft development program.
Over the medium term, Orbital sees potential for follow-on production orders as MightyFly scales its fleet towards commercial deployment, though this remains subject to the successful completion of the development program.
The order reflects Orbital’s broader strategy of converting development programs into long-term production opportunities across a diversified base of commercial and defence autonomous aviation customers.
Orbital’s defence customer diversification has accelerated in parallel with its commercial push, with the company simultaneously securing engine orders across India, the UAE, Australia, and Norway as it builds out a multi-region production pipeline to complement emerging commercial relationships like MightyFly.
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