HOUSTON, TX, May 22, 2025 – Delta Black Aerospace and Athule Aero has announced a partnership to co-develop propeller systems that enhance performance, reduce acoustic signatures, and accelerate deployment of the Delta Black, RAIDER 330, Group 3 UAS.
“Athule has been a valuable augmentation to the Delta Black engineering team. Their expertise with propeller design, analysis & testing is helping the RAIDER 330 achieve best in class performance,” said Jeff Lydecker, CTO of Delta Black.
Athule Aero and Delta Black Aerospace have launched a focused collaboration to accelerate aerospace system integration. Athule’s design-to-test process combines real-time simulation with in-house manufacturing to develop propellers tailored to specific aircraft and operational needs. These mission-optimized systems will be integrated into Delta Black’s RAIDER 330 platform – a Group 3 hybrid-electric UAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability and a flight endurance of over 28 hours.
“Delta Black is building an elite Group 3 ISR and Logistics platform that yields the best-in-class Payload, Range, Endurance and Power (PREP),” said Clay Kroschel , CEO of Delta Black Aerospace. “Partnering with Athule allows us to move faster, cut acoustic signatures, and remain at the forefront of performance ultimately providing the Warfighter with better tools for combat.”
“We founded Athule to partner with forward-leaning teams like Delta Black,” added Tony Bacarella , CEO of Athule Aero. “They’re pushing innovation across vehicle classes, and they move with urgency. This partnership is about aligning resources to unlock propulsion design that will enable more effective missions.”
Source: Athule Aero
About Athule Aero
Athule Aero, based in Waco, TX, is an aviation technology company focused on developing low-noise, energy-efficient propeller systems. Founded in 2022, the company builds on over a decade of research led by its co-founders, both of whom have U.S. Air Force backgrounds. Its key innovation is the patented Double Break propeller, designed to reduce tip vortices, resulting in significantly lower noise – up to 75% – and improved aerodynamic efficiency of about 15%. Athule supports platforms across the unmanned aerial systems (UAS), fixed-wing, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) markets. The company’s in-house design and testing platform enables rapid prototyping and customization of propellers, reducing development time from months to days. Athule serves both commercial and defense sectors, with partnerships that include the U.S. Air Force and Delta Black.
About Delta Black Aerospace
Delta Black Aerospace, based in McKinney, TX, is a defense and aerospace company established in 2022. It focuses on the design and deployment of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications. The company’s primary platform, the RAIDER 330, is a Group 3 hybrid-electric UAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and extreme short takeoff and landing (E-STOL) capabilities. It is engineered to operate in contested and GPS-denied environments, offering more than 28 hours of flight endurance and a range exceeding 1,600 nautical miles. Delta Black serves military and commercial clients, emphasizing platforms capable of rapid deployment in mission-critical operations. The company is led by former military professionals with extensive experience in UAS development. Delta Black reported lobbying expenditures of $30,000 in early 2025 and operates with a small team of around 12 employees to support its targeted engineering and operational goals.