In a significant development for modern artillery capabilities, defence newcomer Tiberius Aerospace has unveiled its flagship weapons program SCEPTRE, a 155mm ramjet extended-range precision-guided munition. The company's announcement comes just days before the Future Artillery conference in London, scheduled for May 20-22, 2025.

Founded in 2022 but operating in stealth mode until now, Tiberius Aerospace represents a new breed of defence technology companies blending Silicon Valley innovation methodologies with military hardware development. The company aims to serve the UK, US, and allied nations with next-generation weapon systems and AI-powered solutions.

Tiberius Aerospace operates as a pure-play defence intellectual property (IP) developer, fundamentally reimagining traditional defence contracting through its asset-light operational model. With a lean team of 20 engineers specializing in aerospace systems, propulsion technologies, and artificial intelligence, the company concentrates exclusively on high-value research and development activities. This strategic focus enables rapid iteration cycles characteristic of Silicon Valley tech startups, applied to military-grade hardware systems. By decoupling innovation from manufacturing, Tiberius avoids the capital-intensive infrastructure costs that typically constrain defence contractors, instead monetizing its technological breakthroughs through IP licensing agreements and joint development partnerships.

The company's revenue architecture rests on three interconnected pillars: perpetual licensing fees for its patented technologies, performance-based royalties on manufactured systems, and customized development contracts for specific military requirements.

This approach transforms traditional defence procurement cycles by offering partner nations and prime contractors’ access to cutting-edge capabilities without requiring massive upfront investments in production facilities. The model proves particularly advantageous for mid-sized militaries seeking technological parity with larger forces, as it would dramatically reduce time-to-fielding for advanced systems like the SCEPTRE ramjet artillery introduced today. The company announced that it is working on 3 projects at one, the next one to be revealed in 2026.

Tiberius's "Defence-as-a-Service" framework creates a symbiotic relationship with established manufacturers, who handle production while benefiting from continuous capability upgrades streamed through Tiberius's GRAIL (Gun-launched Responsive Artificial Intelligence Logistics) AI platform. This cloud-connected architecture allows deployed systems to receive real-time software enhancements and hardware optimization packages, effectively monetizing post-deployment support as a recurring revenue stream. The company's modular design philosophy – evident in both artillery munitions and missile systems – enables clients to incrementally adopt new technologies without platform obsolescence, ensuring long-term IP monetization windows. This approach mirrors software development methodologies now being applied to hardware systems, with 3–6-month releases for customers.

The SCEPTRE ammunition

The newly revealed SCEPTRE (designated TRBM 155HG) offers remarkable performance specifications that significantly outpace traditional artillery. Capable of reaching speeds of Mach 3.5 and altitudes exceeding 65,000 feet - beyond typical jamming range - the system delivers extended range capabilities of up to 150km depending on payload configuration. Most impressively, SCEPTRE achieves a circular error probability (CEP) of less than 5 me, even in GPS-contested environments, compared to over 100 m for conventional artillery systems. Therefore, it the ammunition is ideal against long-range high-value targets.

What truly distinguishes SCEPTRE is its innovative propulsion system. The munition utilizes a proprietary "just-in-time" liquid propellant design capable of running on multiple fuels including diesel, JP-4, and JP-8. This approach extends shelf life beyond 20 years while reducing logistics burdens and minimizing safety hazards during storage and transit. Compatibility has clearly been a design priority, with SCEPTRE engineered to work with NATO standard 155mm artillery platforms. The system's ignition system and limited barrel contact points aim to minimize barrel degradation, a significant consideration for artillery units concerned with maintenance costs and operational readiness. The guidance system represents another technological leap, combining GPS, inertial measurement, and advanced AI to correct targeting errors even in degraded or GPS-denied environments. A particularly notable feature is the ability for multiple munitions to communicate in-flight to refine targeting solutions, potentially enhancing effectiveness against high-value or moving targets.

All this would come at an affordable price, with a spelled-out price tag of $50,000 per round against the market benchmark of roughly $400,000.

Understanding the SCEPTRE munition's flight profile

This revolutionary 155mm ramjet artillery system follows a sophisticated flight path with distinct phases. The sequence begins with a conventional howitzer launch, where the projectile exits the artillery barrel at approximately Mach 2. This initial velocity is crucial as it provides the necessary conditions for the next phase of flight. Upon clearing the barrel, the ramjet engine ignites and accelerates the munition to its operational velocity of Mach 3.5. This significant speed increase dramatically extends the projectile's range compared to conventional artillery rounds.

During its ascent, the munition employs active trajectory shaping techniques that deliberately obscure its launch location. This feature provides tactical advantages by protecting firing positions from counter-battery fire. The munition continues climbing until reaching its apogee (maximum altitude). At this highest point in its trajectory, the projectile has achieved optimal positioning for the terminal phase of flight. After reaching apogee, the ramjet engine shuts down, transitioning the munition from powered flight to a glide phase. This conserves fuel and optimizes the approach to target. Following engine shutdown, canards deploy to control the munition's descent. These small aerodynamic surfaces provide manoeuvrability and stability during the glide phase.

In the final approach, the munition's active guidance systems engage, utilizing a combination of GPS, inertial measurement unit (IMU), and AI guidance algorithms to precisely navigate to the intended target. This multi-modal guidance approach ensures accuracy even in GPS-contested environments. Upon reaching the target, the fuse system activates the payload, resulting in target destruction with exceptional precision.

The ballistic arc shown in the diagram demonstrates how the Sceptre system combines traditional artillery launch capabilities with advanced propulsion and guidance technologies. This hybrid approach allows conventional artillery platforms to achieve missile-like performance characteristics, including extended range, enhanced precision, and improved survivability against counter-battery systems.

The trajectory profile illustrates why the SCEPTRE has the potential to represent such a significant advancement in artillery technology, as it effectively transforms standard 155mm howitzers into long-range precision strike platforms capable of engaging targets at distances previously requiring dedicated missile systems.

Coming soon also the INVICTUS missile system: preliminary analysis

As a canister-launched platform, the system prioritizes deployment flexibility and environmental resilience, enabling rapid operational readiness across diverse combat scenarios. With an engagement range exceeding 200 km, the INVICTUS design establishes itself as a long-range precision strike solution while maintaining exceptional cost efficiency relative to comparable systems in its class. Central to its design philosophy is a modular architecture that would permit mission-specific configurations, allowing military operators to tailor warhead types, guidance packages, and propulsion parameters without requiring structural modifications to the base platform.

Operational deployment of the INVICTUS design relies on Tiberius Aerospace's proprietary VAULT launch system, formally designated as the Tiberius Autonomous Vertical Launch System. This ruggedized infrastructure supports scalable configurations ranging from compact six-missile units to largescale sixty-missile batteries, providing tactical adaptability for both rapid-response missions and sustained engagements. The system achieves a remarkable launch cadence of two missiles per second, with the full sixty-missile configuration capable of saturating target areas with precision munitions in under thirty seconds. Engineered for austere environments, the Vault platform operates exclusively on battery power, eliminating dependence on external energy grids and enhancing operational mobility across land-based, naval, and airborne deployment scenarios.

The INVICTUS system derives significant tactical advantage from its integration with Tiberius's GRAIL platform. This AI suite conducts real-time analysis of cost-per-kill metrics, mission success probabilities, and logistical footprints, enabling commanders to optimize resource allocation across complex engagements. Through lethal probability scoring and precision value algorithms, the system autonomously prioritizes high-value targets while minimizing collateral damage and ammunition expenditure. The platform's continuous learning capabilities ensure progressive improvement in engagement strategies through post-mission analysis of guidance system performance and warhead effectiveness.

The system's canister-based deployment methodology and modular payload architecture suggest inherent adaptability to emerging threats, with potential configurations spanning anti-armor, area denial, and electronic warfare missions. Tiberius Aerospace's emphasis on decentralized manufacturing and continuous hardware iteration through its "Defence-as-a-Service" model ensures rapid incorporation of technological advancements without requiring complete system overhauls. This approach positions the Invictus as a dynamic asset capable of evolving in tandem with both emerging battlefield challenges and advancements in propulsion and guidance technologies.

While specific details regarding warhead yields and terminal guidance subcomponents remain classified, the INVICTUS's published specifications indicate deliberate optimization for GPS-denied environments. The system's reliance on redundant guidance methodologies – combining inertial navigation, terrain recognition algorithms, and secure data-links – ensures target acquisition continuity even under intense electronic warfare conditions. Future development pathways likely focus on enhancing the missile's countermeasure resistance and expanding its interoperability with allied battlefield management systems, further cementing its role as a cornerstone of network-centric warfare doctrines.

The emergence of Tiberius Aerospace and its SCEPTRE and INVICTUS systems comes at a time when artillery capabilities have regained prominence in military planning, particularly following observations from recent conflicts that have highlighted the continued importance of long-range precision fires on the modern battlefield.

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