Unmanned Aircraft Maker Rapidflight to Expand Virginia Operations With New HQ

Rapidflight, an end-to-end designer and manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems, will invest $5.5 million to build its operations in Manassas, Virginia.

The company said Friday it will establish its headquarters as well as design and production facility in the city, taking up 25,000 square feet of space and creating 119 new jobs.

Rapidflight Founder and CEO Jay Gundlach said the city “was a perfect fit” for launching the company’s next-generation manufacturing plans. “By breathing new life into this facility… we are excited to set the stage for the next evolution of unmanned systems,” he added.

Founded in 2021, Rapidflight uses unique additive manufacturing, advanced avionics and propulsion system technologies in UAS to expedite mission response times.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin underscored the state’s position in the unmanned systems industry and RapidFlight’s developments in the technology sector while Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis Younger remarked that the project “cements” the city’s leadership position in UAS design and production.