Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has announced Aires Tide, a proof-of-concept flight test vehicle developed using artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and additive manufacturing, enabling a faster and more cost-effective design and testing process.
Developed through the Genesis Mission—an initiative launched by a 2025 Executive Order from President Trump to create a unified network of national laboratory supercomputers powered by AI—Aires Tide was designed and demonstrated on this advanced platform.
The vehicle was produced at a cost 15 times lower and seven times faster than traditional methods. The project was a collaboration among NNSA’s National Laboratories—Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia—and the Kansas City National Security Campus.
Flight testing included two successful drops in May from 32,000 feet at the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The collected data will inform future improvements using the same design and manufacturing approach.
DOE supercomputers Venado and El Capitan supported the design process as part of an NNSA initiative to accelerate development cycles and improve national security responsiveness while maintaining human oversight.