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Anduril builds defense technology by integrating autonomous hardware with a software platform to support national security missions. Its Lattice AI-powered command-and-control platform fuses data from sensors and autonomous systems to create a real-time operational picture. Its hardware lineup includes Sentry Towers, Ghost UAS, Altius, Roadrunner, Dive-LD, and Fury for autonomous surveillance, reconnaissance, counter-UAS, and multi-domain missions. It funds R&D with venture capital, sells finished products at fixed prices, and aims to rapidly deploy an integrated hardware-software ecosystem to modernize military capabilities for the U.S., its allies, and border-security missions.
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
Series H
Total Funding
$11.5B
Headquarters
Costa Mesa, California
Founded
2017
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Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury expands its weapons options with air-to-ground munitions. Published on: September 16, 2026 at 11:09 AM CEST Anduril fit checked its YFQ-44A Fury CCA with various air-to-ground munitions, and conducted the first formation flights of the autonomous fighter drone alongside F-35s. Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury is expanding its capabilities beyond the air-to-air mission that initially defined the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. New imagery released by the company shows the unmanned fighter configured with multiple air-to-ground weapons. Anduril also confirmed that Fury has already flown alongside U.S. Air Force F-35s during testing. The test flight, part of an exercise conducted with the Air Force's Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, in July, included formation flying but the drone was not controlled by the F-35s' pilots. The developments were disclosed during the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference and come as the Air Force moves toward the next stage of the CCA program. Anduril is looking to develop Fury into a multi-mission aircraft able to carry different weapons and payloads. Air-to-ground weapons fit check. Images released by Anduril on social media show the YFQ-44A carrying different air-to-ground stores on its external stations. Among the weapons shown, all mounted on twin adaptor racks, are GBU-54 Laser JDAM bombs and LAU-131A/A with possibly APKWS rockets, while photos published by The War Zone also show GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs. Anduril executives Jason Levin, senior vice president for Air Dominance and Strike, and Erin Simpson, vice president for Strategy for Air Dominance and Strike, confirmed that the company has begun integration and ground-based fit checks for several air-to-ground weapons. These include 500-pound-class guided bombs, 250-pound Small Diameter Bombs, low-cost cruise missiles, external targeting pods and pods for 2.75-inch guided or unguided rockets. Additionally, Levin told reporters that Anduril is also working on integrating its Barracuda 500 into Fury. The integration of the air-to-ground weaponry is being done with internal funding. The distinction between fit checking and actual weapons testing is important. The weapons shown in the latest imagery, in fact, have not yet been flight-tested with the YFQ-44. The current activity is an integration step intended to verify that the stores can physically and structurally be carried by the aircraft before progressing toward captive-carry and, potentially, live-release testing. The imagery nevertheless provides the clearest indication so far that Anduril is considering a considerably broader mission set for the aircraft. The production FQ-44 will feature four external hardpoints, compared with the two currently installed on the YFQ-44A demonstrator, allowing it to carry four AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. The full-size model of the production variant is also being exhibited at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference. The additional weapons integrations could allow the same basic aircraft to be configured for counter-air, counter-UAS, counter-cruise-missile and air-to-ground missions. This approach would also allow different members of a CCA formation to perform different tasks, depending on the tactical situation. Flying alongside F-35s. During the Air, Space & Cyber Conference, the company has also disclosed that the YFQ-44 Fury has already flown in formation with F-35 Lightning II fighters. The milestone arrived during a July exercise conducted with the Air Force's Experimental Operations Unit at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. There is, however, an important distinction between flying alongside an F-35 and being controlled or tasked by an F-35. In fact, as confirmed by Levin, the latter has not yet been demonstrated. During the testing, the YFQ-44 operated using its own Mission Autonomy system while sharing the battlespace with crewed fighters, other CCAs and other aircraft. The Mission Autonomy system was operated by Air Force personnel, with Anduril's personnel participating only in a supporting role. The company is now working toward what it calls "quarterback integration," referring to the ability of a crewed aircraft or task autonomous aircraft operating as part of the same formation. This appears to be a reference to the wording previously used by the Air Force, which said the CCAs area meant to fly in the heat of the fight while the manned fighters will stay at standoff ranges and "play quarterback." Anduril says this work has already progressed through hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop testing and also on the aircraft itself, with the first live-flight demonstrations expected within the coming weeks or months. The initial implementation could involve a tablet-based interface inside the crewed fighter, as seen during previous tests like the one which saw an F-35 take control of an MQ-20 Avenger. FY2027 funding remains a constraint. Although the Air Force awarded production contracts for both the FQ-44 Fury and General Atomics' FQ-42A earlier this year, Anduril says it cannot fully begin work on the production contract until Congress provides the necessary FY2027 procurement funding. Erin Simpson, Anduril's vice president for strategy execution, said the company has already invested heavily and has gone as far as it can without procurement dollars. The company has already begun preparing, investing its own funds in the production infrastructure and long-lead components. Levin said Arsenal-1 can ultimately produce as many as 150 Fury aircraft annually, although current Air Force orders do not reach that production rate. Anduril has also said that the aircraft's production cost is expected to remain below $20 million at the quantities currently contemplated by the Air Force, although the exact production quantities under the initial contracts have not been disclosed. For context, few days ago, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the service is planning to have 500 CCAs in service by 2032. Stefano D'Urso is the Deputy Editor at The Aviationist, based in Lecce, Italy. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering. His areas of expertise include emerging aerospace and defense technologies, electronic warfare, unmanned and autonomous systems, loitering munitions, and the application of OSINT techniques to the analysis of military operations and contemporary conflicts. 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Air Force aims for 500 CCA drones as production outpaces buying power. The U.S. Air Force plans to field at least 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the uncrewed fighters built to fly alongside crewed jets, by 2032, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said Sept. 14 at the Air and Space Forces Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The figure more than triples what the service described three months ago, when it said it would buy more than 150 drones by the end of the decade. It also marks the most aggressive CCA target any Air Force leader has stated. Meink's predecessor, Frank Kendall, set a goal of 100 by 2029 in 2024. Meink paired that ambition with an unusual caveat. The Air Force could build more CCAs than it can pay for. "We talk about 500 by 2032, but we could actually build more of them than that," Meink said during a question-and-answer session after his keynote. "So now we're in a situation to where we could actually build more than we can actually afford to buy." The gap between production capacity and purchasing power sits at the center of the program. The Air Force requested $996.5 million in its fiscal 2027 budget to start CCA Increment 1 procurement, the first batch of drones. The service has targeted a unit price near $20 million once full-rate production begins, though it earlier cited roughly $30 million per aircraft, about a third the cost of an F-35A. At the higher figure, the fiscal 2027 request would cover only a few dozen airframes. General Atomics and Anduril are producing the Increment 1 drones, which Meink said have started rolling off assembly lines. He also announced official names for both. General Atomics' FQ-42A becomes Vengeance, replacing the company's earlier Dark Merlin nickname, and Anduril's FQ-44A is designated Fury. The FQ-44A fired a live AIM-120 air-to-air missile during a July test at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the first weapons employment by any U.S. CCA. F-22 Raptors are set to be the first crewed fighters to control the drones in operations. A second increment is planned, and the Air Force has said it could bring up to six vendors into early prototyping next year from a pool of more than 20 eligible companies. It is not clear whether Increment 2 drones factor into the 500 target. Meink said the service is also accelerating a separate program, Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA), a cheaper drone meant to replace the MQ-9A Reaper for strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance work. The Air Force aims to field 100 MMA platforms by 2029 and 500 by 2032, at roughly $10 million per air vehicle. Reaper losses are driving that timeline. The Air Force has lost about 45 MQ-9s in operations against Iran this year, roughly a quarter of the fleet, according to figures cited at the conference. Join the SOFX report. Read the daily 5-minute intel report built to inform over 60,000 decision makers across the Special Operations and Defense Community. Your privacy is our priority. We will never rent, sell or share your information with anyone. The Editor Staff at SOFX comprises a diverse, global team of dedicated staff writers and skilled freelancers. Together, they form the backbone of our reporting and content creation.
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Boeing advances in new air defense competition with US Army. Unveiling the future of air defense technology. In a rapidly evolving battlefield where threats become more sophisticated and numerous, traditional air defense systems struggle to keep pace. The US military's quest for adaptable, cost-effective, and highly responsive missile defense solutions has taken a giant leap forward with Boeing and Anduril's groundbreaking development of an advanced, modular interceptor missile. This new system promises to bridge critical gaps in medium-range air defense, enabling quicker updates, higher payloads, and smarter targeting, all while slashing costs and deployment times. Why the new interceptor system is a game-changer. The existing short- and long-range missile defense architectures serve well, but they often face limitations in cost, flexibility, and rapid technological upgrades. The emerging threats - swarm drones, stealthy cruise missiles, and hypersonic projectiles - demand a versatile response that can adapt to multiple scenarios with precision. The novel missile system developed by Boeing and Anduril addresses these challenges head-on by integrating cutting-edge technologies into a single, modular platform. Core technology and design principles. * Active and Passive Guidance: The new missile uses advanced arming and guidance systems that allow real-time target updates, improving hit accuracy even against fast-moving or evasive threats. * Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA): This is the cornerstone of the design permitting swift upgrades and component replacements without redesigning the entire missile. MOSA ensures that the system remains relevant amidst rapidly changing technologies. * Carrier Flexibility: The missile can be launched from various platforms - ground-based, ship-mounted, or mobile units - creating a unified and adaptable defense network. * Cost Efficiency: The modular approach reduces manufacturing complexity and enhances economies of scale, ultimately lowering lifecycle costs and enabling larger hardware inventories. Innovative propulsion system. Anduril Rocket Engine Systems supplies a solid-fuel rocket engine that provides the necessary thrust while maintaining simplicity and reliability. This choice not only streamlines manufacturing but also ensures rapid readiness times and high performance under combat conditions. The fusion of this engine with Boeing's guidance and warhead technologies results in a highly responsive missile capable of intercepting multiple threats simultaneously. Speeding up updates and modernization. The modular architecture unlocks a significant advantage: rapid updates. Instead of waiting years for new firmware or hardware, developers can deploy targeted enhancements through software patches or modular replacements. This process is akin to updating an app on your smartphone - making the entire system more resilient and adaptable. This agility allows operators to respond swiftly to new threats, technological advances, or combat scenarios. Addressing medium-range defense gaps. Current US air defense systems tend to be segmented, with each serving specific ranges. The introduced interceptor bridges the gap between short-range systems like the NASAMS and long-range defenses such as the Patriot missile. By focusing on the medium-range niche, this missile ensures layered coverage, especially in high-threat zones, and reduces the reliance on multiple different systems for small to medium threats. Strategic partnerships and development timeline. Boeing's collaboration with Anduril began with a shared vision: create an agile, scalable missile that can evolve with battlefield demands. The recent selection for the second phase of the US Army's IFPC (Integrated Fire Protection Capability) program confirms the system's potential. Through this partnership, Boeing leverages Anduril's expertise in rocket propulsion and active missile guidance, combining forces to meet the military's urgent modernization needs. Impact on cost and operational sustainability. Historically, high costs have limited the deployment scale of advanced air defenses. The new missile system circumvents this issue by deploying a more economical design that can be produced in larger quantities without burdening military budgets. Lower procurement and maintenance costs mean commanders can deploy greater numbers, increasing overall system resilience and reducing vulnerability to overwhelming attack waves. Combat readiness and response time. The rapid deployment time of the missile system significantly enhances military response capabilities. Thanks to its modular design, field units can be equipped, upgraded, and maintained with minimal downtime, ensuring combat readiness at all times. Furthermore, the system's ability to differentiate and prioritize multiple targets enhances operational efficiency and success rates during high-stakes engagements. Implications for future warfare and tech innovations. This next-generation missile system exemplifies the shift toward smarter, more adaptable defense platforms. As threats continue to evolve - especially with the dawn of swarming drones and hypersonic speeds - modular, upgradeable technologies like this will set the standard for future military assets. The integration of AI, machine learning, and real-time data feeds can further amplify its effectiveness. Conclusion. The collaboration between Boeing and Anduril marks a pivotal moment in air defense innovation. By focusing on modularity, affordability, and rapid upgrade capability, they craft a system primed to dominate the complex battlespace of tomorrow. With strategic deployment, this missile will significantly enhance medium-range defense, ensuring that the United States maintains its technological superiority against emerging threats. Frequently asked questions (faqs). * How does the modular system improve missile updates? It allows for quick hardware replacements and software patches without overhauling the entire missile, ensuring faster adaptation to new threats. * What sets this missile apart from existing defense options? Its advanced guidance technology, cost-effectiveness, carrier flexibility, and upgradeability make it a versatile and sustainable choice for modern warfare. * Can this missile intercept hypersonic threats? While designed primarily for medium-range threats, ongoing technological improvements may extend its capabilities to meet emerging hypersonic challenges in the future. * What are the main benefits of the partnership between Boeing and Anduril? The partnership combines Boeing's extensive defense experience with Anduril's innovative propulsion technology, resulting in a highly adaptable and cost-efficient missile system. * When will this missile system become operational? The project is currently in the development and testing phases, with operational deployment anticipated once testing confirms system reliability and effectiveness. Discover more Battery Train Technology Railway News Updates Freight Forwarding Solutions Alstom signs UK's first battery train contract, pioneering eco-friendly rail transportation with innovative green technology and sustainable mobility solutions. 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A UK company just showed a drone boat that takes loitering munitions, mini torpedoes, drones or sonobuoys as cassettes two people exchange in the field without touching the hull, and it says an Anduril ALTIUS has already gone out of one. Sep 9, at 8:00am ET If you ever owned a car with a tape deck, you already understand the pitch here. The hardware never changed. You pushed in a different cassette and the same machine did something new. The deck didn't care what was on the tape. SubSea Craft, a maritime tech company based in Portsmouth, England, announced on September 4 that its MARS drone boat now handles weapons exactly that way: as cassettes that slide into the hull and come back out, swapped by a two-person team wherever the boat happens to be deployed. The system's patent-pending, and SubSea Craft's announcement says a swap doesn't involve modifying the vessel itself. The company lists loitering munitions, miniature torpedoes, aerial drones and sonobuoys as potential cassettes, all delivered from the same hull. "Operators can swap cassettes quickly and easily," in the words of Tom Harkin, SubSea Craft's chief commercial officer. So why does a drone boat need a tape deck? Because bolting a new weapon onto a boat is normally a project, not a chore. Somebody has to engineer the mounts, run the wiring, integrate the software, and then prove at sea that none of it broke anything else. That work happens at a dock, it takes engineers, and it starts over with every new payload. So plenty of drone boats spend their whole careers doing the one job they were wired for on day one. The cassette moves all of that work into the box. The boat keeps one standard slot; the payload shows up already packaged to fit it. SubSea Craft says the point is cutting integration timelines so new payloads get to sea faster, and the field-swap part is what separates this from a shipyard upgrade. A two-person team handles it. That's the whole pitch. You've seen other answers to the same question here before. A British 56-footer Autonocion covered in August was built around a 20-foot shipping container slot, and Ukraine's newest Magura carries 18 interceptors in boxes bolted to its deck. The cassette is the smallest of the three approaches and arguably the most portable: a container needs a crane and a port, deck boxes are built around whatever sits inside them, and a cassette needs two people and wherever the boat already is. An Anduril ALTIUS has already gone out the slot. This isn't a concept render. SubSea Craft says the cassette system has already been used to integrate Anduril's ALTIUS, and it released an image that Naval News ran with a caption describing MARS launching the ALTIUS through the new system. SubSea Craft's own image says it happened. If you haven't met the ALTIUS, it's a tube-launched drone from Anduril that flies out, loiters, and either watches something or dives into it. Anduril builds it to launch from the ground, the air or the sea, so a tube sitting in a cassette is, frankly, about as natural a fit as this idea gets. What SubSea Craft hasn't said is when or where that launch happened, and I can't find a date or a location for it anywhere else. That's a fairly big blank in an announcement built around the event. So the launch stands confirmed by the company, and nobody's published a date. So how big is this boat, exactly? Here's the odd part: the company's MARS page doesn't publish the boat's dimensions today. It calls the craft low-signature and high-speed, says it went from design to the water within 100 days, and sums up the resume as built in the UK, trialed in open water in Australia with the Australian Maritime College, and tested with US payloads. SubSea Craft pitches it for maritime domain awareness, persistent surveillance, countering other unmanned systems, and full ISTAR work, which is the military's umbrella term for finding things, watching them and lining up a shot. SubSea Craft has put numbers on this hull before, though. You'll just have to go back to when the boat first got wet. A company official told the defense outlet Shephard that MARS reaches up to 30 knots (about 35 mph) and up to 300 nautical miles (roughly 345 miles), and reporting around the debut put the hull at about 19.7 feet (6 meters). None of that made the current spec sheet. The upgraded MARS went into production in May, and I'd treat all three figures as the company's claims for the first boat rather than measurements of the one now being built. Design to water From concept to floating, per SubSea Craft's own product page. Cassette swap team In the field, with no changes to the boat. Demonstrated with the Anduril ALTIUS. Claimed top speed About 35 mph, per an SSC official at the boat's debut. Not on the current spec sheet. Claimed range Roughly 345 statute miles, claimed for the original boat, not re-published for the production version. Compare that with how the neighbors do it. ZeroUSV cut a 20-foot container slot into a 56-foot hull; SubSea Craft's cassettes go into a boat roughly a third that length. The Magura MV11 hauls its 18 interceptor boxes on a 39-foot deck. A smaller hull gives up payload, sure, but it also buys a boat that'll launch from a bigger ship, work rivers as well as open water, and get rearmed on-site by the same two people. I suspect that last part's what the patent application is really about. SubSea Craft published the cassette announcement on September 4 with the ALTIUS already through the slot, and the upgraded MARS it slides into has been in production since May. Tom Harkin's team now gets to find out which cassette a customer asks for first. Frequently asked questions. AI-assisted contextual content, generated to enrich your reading. What operational roles can modular payload cassettes enable for unmanned surface vessels? Modular payload cassettes allow USVs to swiftly integrate mission-specific modules for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors; radio frequency decoys; signal intelligence equipment; communications relays; electronic warfare systems; and loitering munitions, enabling a single platform to adapt rapidly to diverse operational requirements in contested maritime environments. How do modular payload cassettes improve mission turnaround and logistics for USVs? By using a plug-and-play cassette system, operators can exchange payloads without modifying the vessel or requiring dockside alterations, significantly reducing reconfiguration time and simplifying supply chains by standardizing module interfaces. What are the primary technical challenges in developing cassette exchange mechanisms for maritime platforms? Key challenges include achieving watertight seals to prevent water ingress under wave impact and pressure fluctuations; ensuring materials and mechanical latches resist corrosion and biofouling in saltwater; and maintaining precise alignment and reliable mechanical engagement under dynamic sea states and vessel motion. What capabilities does the Anduril ALTIUS loitering munition bring when deployed from USVs? The Anduril ALTIUS-700M offers multispectral launch capability with up to 75 minutes of endurance, a range of approximately 100 miles, and a warhead payload capacity of about 33 pounds, providing USVs with expeditionary strike options at standoff distances. How do modular payload systems on USVs compare to modular payload concepts in unmanned aerial systems? While both platforms leverage standardized interfaces and interchangeable modules to streamline integration, maritime systems require enhanced waterproofing, corrosion resistance, and structural reinforcement against hydrodynamic forces, whereas aerial systems prioritize weight reduction, aerodynamic performance, and compliance with airworthiness regulations. What regulatory and safety considerations apply when equipping unmanned surface vessels with loitering munitions? Equipping USVs with weapons requires prior certification and registration, disarmament during trials, and authorization from naval or maritime authorities; compliance with technical-domain approvals for ordnance integration; and adherence to national code provisions governing military drone operations and weapons safety standards. This content was generated using AI and reviewed according to publisher guidelines. THE LOT via The Lot Agree or laugh out loud? 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