UK-headquartered Tiberius Aerospace announced on 4 August 2026 that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) to support the continued development and maturation of Sceptre: the company’s next-generation precision-guided, ramjet-powered 155 mm artillery munition.
The CRADA establishes a collaborative research framework between Tiberius Aerospace and DEVCOM AC, enabling the parties to collaborate on mutually agreed research and technical activities relating to the Sceptre programme. CRADAs are a long-established mechanism through which the US Army works with industry to accelerate the development and maturation of technologies of mutual interest.
How Sceptre works
Unlike conventional rocket-assisted projectiles, Sceptre uses a liquid-fuelled ramjet that provides sustained propulsion throughout flight, “delivering a step change in the performance of tube artillery”, according to the company. Fired from a NATO-standard 155 mm howitzer, Sceptre is designed to accelerate beyond Mach 3, reach altitudes exceeding 65,000 ft (19,812 m) and deliver precision effects at ranges of up to 150 km, with target accuracy within 5 m, even in GPS-denied environments.
Crucially, Sceptre requires no new launcher or bespoke firing platform, “enabling armed forces to dramatically extend the capability of their existing artillery inventories without introducing a new weapon system”, the company stated. Sceptre’s propulsion system uses a multi-fuel liquid propellant compatible with readily available military fuels, including diesel, JP-4 and JP-8, reducing logistics, storage and sustainment requirements while leveraging existing battlefield fuel supply chains.
Designed from the outset as a software-defined weapon, Sceptre combines advanced propulsion with a modular open architecture that enables continuous capability upgrades throughout its service life. Through integration with GRAIL, Tiberius Aerospace’s AI-powered platform for the continuous iteration of weapon systems, new targeting capabilities, guidance algorithms, mission software and autonomy can be rapidly integrated throughout the munition’s lifecycle, the company asserted.
By connecting operational requirements with engineering, testing and federated manufacturing, GRAIL enables Sceptre to evolve continuously in response to emerging threats, accelerating the delivery of improved capability to the battlefield.
Ramjet demo
In April 2026 Tiberius Aerospace achieved a world-first demonstration by successfully launching a liquid-fuelled ramjet from a NATO-standard 155 mm howitzer.
“Together with previous demonstrations of round integrity under launch conditions of approximately 16,000 g, successful fin deployment and stable aerodynamic flight, the company’s disciplined flight-test programme continues to systematically validate each of the core technologies underpinning Sceptre,” the company stated, adding, “The CRADA further expands Tiberius Aerospace’s collaboration with the US Department of Defense and marks another important milestone in the maturation of the Sceptre programme.”
