First Breach Reports First Autonomous Flight of Drone Prototype
First Breach said its four-rotor drone prototype completed a mission from takeoff to landing without manual control input as development continues under its agreement with Hellbender.
First Breach Inc. (NASDAQ:FBDT) said on October 13, 2026 that its proprietary drone prototype had completed its first autonomous flight. The aircraft carried out a planned mission from takeoff through landing without manual control input, while the company continues development of its flight software with Hellbender, Inc.
#Autonomous mission completed on current prototype
During the test, the drone followed a predetermined route using satellite navigation, returned to its starting area and landed without pilot intervention. First Breach said the flight tested the complete guidance, navigation and control loop on the current aircraft.
The mission used Betaflight, the open-source flight-control firmware used when the company initially brought up the flight controller. First Breach Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Low said the test followed an earlier untethered flight and represented a further step in the company’s development work.
First Breach is now transferring its flight stack to PX4, an open-source autopilot used in defence, industrial and research unmanned systems. The company said PX4 provides mission-planning, failsafe and sensor-integration features intended to support more complex missions and payload functions.
The PX4 port remains in progress and is being developed alongside changes to the airframe and electronics. First Breach said its immediate priorities include additional testing, broader mission capabilities and preparation for American manufacturing.
The aircraft is described as a proof-of-concept, four-rotor Class 1 platform. Its all-up weight is approximately 2.2 kg, while its payload capacity is roughly 500 g through a Picatinny rail and electrical interface. The company said the current build has demonstrated an effective range of 2 km and an endurance of approximately 10 minutes.
The prototype has a cruise speed of 50 km/h and a maximum speed of 120 km/h. It uses GNSS with visual-inertial augmentation for navigation and a 900 MHz MAVLink control link. Swappable LiPo batteries are used, and the platform is designed for field assembly in under ten minutes.
First Breach cautioned that the present build is a proof-of-concept and remains subject to change before production.
First Breach continues to target completion of its initial prototypes in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the beginning of scaled production in the second quarter of 2027. The company has also stated a targeted production capacity of more than 2,500 drones per week as manufacturing operations expand.
These milestones are company targets rather than completed production results. The drone programme is being developed alongside First Breach’s existing focus on ammunition components and finished ammunition at its Hagerstown, Maryland facility.
First Breach describes itself as an ISO 9001:2015 certified, American-made defence technologies company developing unmanned aerial systems for commercial, law enforcement and military markets. Hellbender, which is based in Pittsburgh, works in physical AI, computer vision, drones, robotics, electronics design and automated manufacturing. The two companies are working under a strategic agreement covering the drone programme.
First Breach Inc. announced on October 13, 2026 that its proprietary drone prototype had completed its first autonomous flight. The Company said the aircraft completed a mission from takeoff to landing without manual control input and also provided an update on porting its flight software to PX4 under its strategic agreement with Hellbender, Inc.
First Breach Inc. made the announcement on October 13, 2026. The update covers the prototype’s first autonomous flight, ongoing flight-stack development, and the Company’s stated targets for initial prototypes in the fourth quarter of 2026 and scaled production in the second quarter of 2027.
First Breach Inc. said the prototype took off, followed a predetermined route using satellite navigation, returned and landed without manual control input. The mission was flown on Betaflight and validated the guidance, navigation and control autonomy loop on the current prototype.
First Breach Inc. initially brought up its flight controller on Betaflight, the open-source flight control firmware used for the autonomous mission. The Company is now porting its flight stack to PX4, with the port in process alongside ongoing airframe and electronics iteration.
First Breach Inc. said PX4’s mission-planning, failsafe and sensor-integration framework provides the foundation for the more complex mission profiles and payload behaviours it intends to support as the platform moves from prototype to production. The Company said the port is being advanced in parallel with further development work.
First Breach Inc. said its focus is on further testing, expanding mission capabilities and preparing the platform for American manufacturing. The Company also said it is advancing the flight-stack port to PX4 while continuing airframe and electronics iteration.
First Breach Inc. continues to target completion of its initial prototypes in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the start of scaled production in the second quarter of 2027. The Company said the targeted production capacity is more than 2,500 drones per week as manufacturing operations expand; the prototype build remains subject to change ahead of production.
First Breach Inc. described the current prototype as a four-rotor Class 1 platform with an all-up weight of approximately 2.2 kg and a payload capacity of roughly 500 g via a Picatinny rail and electrical interface. It has demonstrated an effective range of 2 km, an endurance of approximately 10 minutes, a cruise speed of 50 km/h and a maximum speed of 120 km/h.
First Breach Inc. said the platform uses GNSS with visual-inertial augmentation for navigation and a 900 MHz MAVLink control link. It also uses swappable LiPo batteries and is designed for field assembly in under ten minutes.
First Breach Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015 certified, American-made defence technologies company focused on manufacturing match-grade ammunition components and finished ammunition, while developing next-generation unmanned aerial systems. The Company said it manufactures products in-house at its Hagerstown, Maryland facility for commercial, law enforcement and military markets.
Jeffrey Low, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Breach, said the autonomous flight demonstrated that the Company had a system, following an earlier untethered flight that demonstrated a vehicle. He described the flight as an important step towards the capabilities First Breach intends to offer defence and government customers, while noting that further testing and mission development remain the focus.
First Breach Inc. is identified in the announcement as being listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol FBDT, written as NASDAQ:FBDT.