SAN DIEGO — Tiberius Aerospace has announced a $500 million contract to manufacture, license and distribute its Sceptre precision-guided munition. The agreement combines U.S.-developed defense technology with industrial cooperation from the United Kingdom and establishes a model for sovereign allied production.
Tiberius said the Sceptre program moved from a desktop concept to a scaled production agreement in 24 months.
Sceptre 155mm Ramjet Munition
Sceptre is a liquid-fueled, ramjet-powered 155mm munition designed to be fired from existing NATO-standard howitzers without modifications to the launch platforms. The company says the munition can sustain speeds above Mach 3.5 and deliver payloads at ranges extending beyond 140 kilometers.
The munition uses an active GPS and inertial hybrid guidance system, while aerodynamic control canards adjust its flight path during flight to maintain precision targeting.
Defense-as-a-Service Model
Tiberius described the agreement as the first major deployment of its Defense-as-a-Service model. Under this approach, the company develops, tests and validates defense technology before licensing it to qualified allied nations and domestic manufacturers.
The company says the model is intended to distribute research and development costs and risks across allied markets while creating additional manufacturing pathways and reducing supply-chain vulnerabilities.
“The West’s greatest strategic advantage is the freedom to invent, compete and build,” said Chad Steelberg, founder and chief executive of Tiberius Aerospace. “Our ambition is to turn that advantage into our greatest weapon: the collective innovative power of the free market.”
U.S.-U.K. Industrial Cooperation
The manufacturing collaboration operates under an International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Technical Assistance Agreement, which authorizes the sharing of technical data, engineering development and industrial participation between Tiberius and a consortium of U.K. technology partners.
General Sir Roly Walker, the British Army’s chief of the general staff, said the partnership demonstrates the value of combining U.K. and U.S. technological expertise in advanced artillery technologies and strengthening transatlantic defense cooperation.
Tiberius is using its AI-powered GRAIL software platform to coordinate engineering requirements, suppliers, performance evaluation, manufacturing and export compliance. The company says GRAIL helps ensure distributed production remains aligned with the original engineering standards and regulatory authorizations.
Sceptre's modular, open architecture is also intended to allow qualified component upgrades as the system develops, with GRAIL providing a framework for evaluating and integrating those changes across participating companies.
Earlier Development Work
Sceptre's development has included support from the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and contract work with the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The program also includes a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center.
Retired Adm. Gary Roughead, the 29th chief of naval operations, said modern conflicts have highlighted the importance of munitions production capacity for sustaining combat power. He added that increased allied production capacity is important for maintaining readiness and supporting long-term combat operations.
The $500 million agreement now moves Sceptre into a larger manufacturing, licensing and distribution framework involving U.S. technology and U.K. industrial cooperation.
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