Airframe Design & Engineering
Clean-sheet and mission-adapted airframes engineered for endurance, payload, and survivability.
- Aerodynamic & structural design
- CFD / FEA validation
- Rapid CAD-to-prototype loops
UAS Development & Production
Unmanned systems,
engineered to fly.
We design, engineer, and manufacture unmanned aerial systems end-to-end — from clean-sheet airframe to flight-proven production.
Conveniently located in Southeast Michigan
CALLSIGNBLACK DOG
End-to-end
Design through production, under one roof
In-house
Engineering, build, and flight test
Michigan
Built in America’s manufacturing heartland
Mission-first
Engineered for the field, not the brochure
What we do
One team, the whole stack — from clean sheet to flight line.
Black Dog Defense keeps design, engineering, and production under one roof. That tight loop is how we turn requirements into flight-proven hardware, fast.
Avionics & Autonomy
Flight controllers, sensor fusion, and autonomy stacks built for contested, GPS-degraded environments.
- Custom flight control
- Resilient navigation
- Edge compute & onboard AI
Payload Integration
Modular bays and clean interfaces so ISR, comms, and effects payloads swap without a redesign.
- EO/IR & multispectral
- Datalink & comms relay
- Open payload interfaces
Manufacturing & Production
A production line built to scale — repeatable quality from first article to fielded fleet.
- In-house composites & machining
- Production tooling & fixtures
- Configuration-managed builds
Test, Evaluation & Flight Ops
Disciplined ground and flight test that turns prototypes into systems you can trust in the field.
- Bench & HIL testing
- Instrumented flight test
- Data-driven iteration
Sustainment & Support
Spares, training, and field support that keep platforms mission-ready long after delivery.
- Spares & logistics
- Operator training
- Field & depot support
How we work
A disciplined path from mission to fleet.
Every program runs the same proven loop — so good ideas reach the field, and the field keeps making them better.
- 01
Define
We start with the mission. Requirements, threat picture, and constraints translated into a clear system spec.
- 02
Design
Airframe, avionics, and payload designed together — modeled, simulated, and reviewed before metal is cut.
- 03
Prototype
Fast build-fly-learn cycles in-house. We instrument everything and let flight data drive the design.
- 04
Produce
Hardened tooling and configuration management take a proven prototype to repeatable, scalable production.
Where we build
Conveniently located in Southeast Michigan.
We build where America builds. Southeast Michigan pairs a world-class manufacturing base with deep engineering talent — the right ground for turning unmanned systems into production reality.
Headquarters & productionSoutheast Michigan, USA
A manufacturing heartland
Southeast Michigan offers a deep, proven supply base in precision machining, composites, electronics, and tooling — the backbone of repeatable hardware production.
Aerospace & automotive talent
Decades of automotive and aerospace engineering have built one of the densest concentrations of mechatronics, controls, and manufacturing talent in the country.
Logistics & access
Central location, major freight corridors, and proximity to test ranges and partners keep development cycles tight and delivery dependable.
Get in touch
Let's build what flies.
Tell us about the mission. Whether it's a clean-sheet platform or scaling an existing design into production, we'll set up a briefing to talk specifics.
- contact@blackdogdefense.com
- +1 (734) 555-0142
- Southeast Michigan, USA