Stock Market Today, July 20: Archer Aviation Surges 20% on Thunder VTOL Platform Unveiling with Anduril

Archer Aviation (ACHR) jumped 20% on July 20 after unveiling Thunder, a hybrid-electric autonomous attack rotorcraft developed in partnership with defense company Anduril. The platform is designed to serve both commercial and defense markets, with first flight scheduled for 2027.

The rally comes against a challenging backdrop: ACHR remains down 55% over the past year. The company is not yet profitable, and analysts flag high volatility as a key risk, recommending investors take an incremental approach rather than large positions.

The Thunder platform represents Archer's push into the defense sector alongside its core eVTOL commercial ambitions. Partnering with Anduril, a defense technology firm, positions the company to compete for military contracts in addition to urban air mobility applications.