Under the partnership, Anduril will integrate its Lattice open software platform into the revolutionary goggles to enable operators to see threats faster across the battlespace.

The software utilizes sensor fusion, computer vision, edge computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect, track, and classify every object of interest in the operator’s surroundings.

Once activated, Lattice is expected to augment IVAS’ capabilities, enhancing soldier survivability in complex and contested environments.

“It’s one of the Army’s most critical programs being fielded in the near future,” Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said, referring to the IVAS. He added that the goal of the partnership is to ensure the device “gets the right data to the right people at the right time.”

‘Bringing a Full Picture’

According to Anduril, Lattice works by fusing multiple sensors, data, and assets into a single, AI-enabled software interface to automatically detect and monitor threats.

It employs advanced data processing techniques to filter high-value information, enabling operators to react to the most immediate threats first.

The software can also be used to further investigate threats by coordinating with other available platforms, such as drones and aircraft.

The company noted that its Lattice platform is also suited for monitoring land and maritime borders, as it can alert human operators to objects of interest through their desktop or mobile phones.

“IVAS brings a full picture of the battlefield to every soldier, enabling safer and more effective operations,” Microsoft VP of Mixed Reality Robin Seiler stated.

“Our collaboration with Anduril to integrate their suite of critical sensors … demonstrates the transformative capability of this fighting goggle and will allow us to further expand the impact IVAS will have for every US soldier.”

Struggling Program

Launched in 2018, the IVAS program aims to produce augmented reality goggles that are said to revolutionize how soldiers train and operate on the battlefield.

However, the initiative has faced challenges, with soldiers reporting disorientation, dizziness, eyestrain, and headaches after trying the equipment.

User feedback also revealed that fewer targets were hit when they used the early versions of the device.

The US Congress has already withheld nearly $350 million in funding for the goggles, with a Pentagon official claiming that the US Army might just waste billions of dollars on the program.

US Army Futures Command head Gen. James Rainey also stated that the upcoming operational tests of the IVAS goggles may determine the fate of the troubled initiative.

The post Anduril to Revive US Army’s Troubled IVAS Program, Partners With Microsoft appeared first on The Defense Post.

Called the Barracuda-M, the low-cost munition is designed to provide warfighters with an adaptable and upgradable capability to address both current and emerging threats.

It is equipped with a guidance system to accurately neutralize static or moving targets through body-to-body contact, supporting direct, stand-in, or stand-off strike missions.

It can be launched from a variety of ground, air, and land platforms, including the latest fighter jets, helicopters, surface vessels, and drones.

The weapon also features a range of common subsystems to ensure it can be rapidly optimized to meet evolving needs.

Variants

The Barracuda-M comes in three variants: Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250, and Barracuda-500 — each offering unique capabilities.

The Barracuda-100 is the smallest and shortest-ranged version, with a maximum payload capacity of 35 pounds (15.8 kilograms) and an operational range of up to 85 nautical miles (157 kilometers) when launched from the air.

The Barracuda-250 offers the same payload capacity, but has a greater strike range of 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers).

Anduril said this version is well-suited for combat jets and bomber aircraft, as well as for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.

The Barracuda-500, meanwhile, boasts a superior payload capacity of 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and a range not exceeding 500 miles (800 kilometers).

Supports Hyper-Scale Production

According to the manufacturer, the Barracuda-M is the “most producible cruise missile” on the market, as a single munition takes 50 percent less time to produce.

It also requires 50 percent fewer parts, enabling affordable, large-scale production.

“Barracuda is purpose-built to bring mass to the fight,” Anduril stated. “Barracuda production rates are designed to keep pace with the threat and can be doubled on-call to meet short-term surges in demand.”

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Anduril Industries and Performance Drone Works have each received 10-year contracts to provide their Ghost X and C-100 drones, respectively, to meet the service’s ISTAR requirements.

These drones will support Brigade Combat Teams in various environmental conditions.

Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. David Phillips said the two companies were selected following thorough evaluations and flight demonstrations over a five-month period.

US Army acquisition assistant secretary Douglas Bush also noted that the milestone is an example of the service’s ability to rapidly transition from concept to contract, quickly delivering the new technology to soldiers.

“This shows [that] the acquisition system can move at the pace needed to support the Army, especially in rapidly emerging technology areas like small uncrewed aircraft systems (s-UAS),” he expressed.

Chosen Solutions

Unveiled in 2023, Anduril’s Ghost X is an expeditionary s-UAS purpose-built for reconnaissance and force protection.

It has a dual battery for an extended flight time of 75 minutes and an increased payload capacity of 9 kilograms (20 pounds).

Thanks to its long-range communications suite, the drone can fly up to 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away from the operator.

The C-100, meanwhile, is a heavy-lift, man-packable quadcopter that boasts a flight endurance of 74 minutes and a range of more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

It also has a payload capacity of 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms).

According to Performance Drone Works, the C-100 is aligned with dynamic military targeting methodology and supports tactical intelligence missions.

The post US Army Selects Two Firms for Company-Level ISTAR Drone Program appeared first on The Defense Post.

The vessel was delivered to the country via transatlantic flight aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.

Ghost Shark developer Anduril Industries wrote that the milestone is part of a broader objective to simultaneously evaluate the Ghost Shark’s performance on both sides of the Pacific.

Related assessments will coincide with the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), a biennial multinational exercise that will be held near the Hawaiian Islands this year.

The first Ghost Shark prototype will undergo similar tests in Australia.

Australia’s Ghost Shark Program

Anduril’s Ghost Shark XL-AUV is a response to the Australian Defence Force’s goals to expand its undersea presence in the Indo-Pacific.

In May 2022, Canberra awarded the California-based company a $100-million contract to produce three of the drones for the Royal Australian Navy.

Anduril then unveiled the early Ghost Shark prototype seven months later at its satellite center in Sydney.

In August 2024, the Australian government announced a further $26 million in investment to expedite the Ghost Shark initiative’s prototyping to production work.

Concurrently, the firm revealed the construction of its first Australian factory dedicated to the XL-AUV program.

“The National Defence Strategy identified uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities as a critical capability for the Australian Defence Force,” Anduril said in its latest press release.

“The advances in this program help address a capability need as well as potentially providing a fleet of low-cost multi-role autonomous vehicles to complement and enhance the current submarine and surface force.”

“This additional Ghost Shark is an example of Anduril investing its own funds in R&D, to cut development timelines and move faster than traditional industry, avoiding the delays and cost overruns typical of cost plus contracts.”

Combining With Manned Assets

The Australian Ministry of Defence noted during the Ghost Shark contract’s awarding in 2022 that the resulting systems will deploy to “complement and enhance the agility and potency of the Navy’s current submarine and surface combatant force.”

Currently, the nation is engaged in the production of new nuclear-powered submarines and the modernization of its existing Collins-class diesel-electric submarines.

For surface fleets, Canberra is continuously increasing its light and heavy littoral maneuver landing craft as well as its Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels.

The post Anduril Ghost Shark Submarine Drone Arrives in US appeared first on The Defense Post.

The framework stipulates 40.2 million Australian dollars ($26 million) of investment provided by the government and the company to transition associated prototype developments to production.

Additional work includes the establishment of local manufacturing infrastructure to assemble the initial Ghost Shark production variant by the end of 2025. This site will also produce configurations for foreign military and commercial users once operational.

The Australian Department of Defence wrote that the agreement increases the government’s overall Ghost Shark investment to 90.1 Australian dollars ($58.4 million).

“The Ghost Shark early works contract provides a clear example of how the Albanese Government is working with Australian industry to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge sovereign capability,” Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy stated.

“The Ghost Shark program exemplifies how Australia’s defence industry can develop cutting edge technology and deliver at pace.”

The Ghost Shark Program

Australia’s Ghost Shark initiative aims to deliver long-range vessels to boost the nation’s intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities in the sub-sea domain.

Although the system’s specifications are not yet disclosed, the government hinted that it will have an extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle design.

Anduril received the contract to build three initial prototypes for the Ghost Shark program in May 2022. Seven months later, Canberra revealed the submarine’s early prototype model for evaluation.

In April 2024, the company launched the submarine’s first prototype unit.

The post Australia, Anduril Co-Fund Ghost Shark Submarine Drone Production appeared first on The Defense Post.

Announced at a defense and security expo in Paris, the agreement will integrate Rheinmetall’s Skymaster and Anduril’s Lattice command and control systems into the American company’s Sentry surveillance tower, Wisp sensors, and Anvil kinetic interceptor.

The Skymaster is built for centralized and decentralized battle management. It offers automated weapon assignment and engagement recommendations based on threat level as well as manual and automatic control with one console.

Meanwhile, the Lattice is open software that can be utilized as a sensor or network solution to feed data from multiple sources into a single command and control platform.

The technology’s “rapidly adaptable” functionality is currently used for the US Special Operations Command’s intelligence, force protection, and c-UAS missions and the US Customs and Border Patrol’s tracking and detection.

The partnership will provide additional capabilities to complete their offering, including open, modular, and scalable hardware alongside high-power guns.

“This cooperation will showcase the most innovative C-sUAS system – combining the strength of Rheinmetall military capabilities and the cutting edge development speed of Anduril,” Rheinmetall Air Defence CEO Oliver Dürr remarked.

“I am absolutely confident that this combination will address the future needs of our clients and that we shall bring the right solution at the right time on the market.”

‘One Step Ahead’

According to Anduril, the partnership with Rheinmetall will support the team’s objectives in providing a “systematic approach” comprising a wide sensor and effector mix for European users.

The resulting solution is planned to have diverse hard-kill, non-lethal, and active and passive detection applications, thereby increasing survivability and enabling strategic advantages for warfighters.

“The pace of warfare is accelerating at the speed of technology development,” Anduril Global Defence SVP Greg Kausner stated. “Global defence forces must face a rapidly evolving set of threats from both emerging unmanned systems and legacy manned platforms.”

“Air defence systems require a layered approach that is flexible, adaptable and rapidly deployable. Anduril’s partnership with Rheinmetall will bring an innovative, software-defined and hardware enabled C-sUAS system to our customers to ensure they stay one step ahead of the drone threat.”

In US Army Bradley Replacements

Rheinmetall and Anduril previously collaborated on a major program to replace the US Army’s M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.

Similar to its European c-UAS offering, the consortium leveraged Anduril’s command and control solution to boost its Optionally-Manned Fighting Vehicle design for the program.

In 2023, the team was selected alongside General Dynamics to compete for the potential $45-billion program’s final phase.

The post Rheinmetall, Anduril to Develop Anti-Drone Offering for Europe appeared first on The Defense Post.

The factory will cover up to 150,000 square feet (13,935 square meters) and will include dedicated service bays, testing laboratories, and additional spaces to accommodate lifecycle tasks from research through sustainment.

The center is expected to boost the assembly of Dive-LD’s family of AUVs to more than 200 annually and create over 100 jobs within the first five years of its launch in 2025.

“We are thrilled to build a state-of-the-art production manufacturing facility for our LD family of vehicles in Quonset Point. Affordable, distributed mass is a central tenet of undersea deterrence and we look forward to supporting large-scale, cost-effective AUV deployments with our new facility,” Anduril Industries SVP Shane Arnott said.

“Our Maritime Division continues to develop advanced undersea capabilities and, with large contract awards both in the United States and Australia, we are committed to the mass manufacturing of those proven capabilities at speed and at scales that matter.”

US Navy LDUUV Contract

The announcement follows Anduril’s selection under the Defense Innovation Unit’s prototyping effort to develop Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicles for the US Navy.

The project involved a “swim-off” competition and was followed by an $18.6-million order for Anduril’s Dive AUVs.

“Over the last 6 months, the US Navy, in partnership with DIU and Congress, has driven an aggressive program timeline to put vendors on contract, acquire capabilities, and rapidly demonstrate those capabilities with warfighters,” Anduril Industries Director Nick Stoner said.

“This contract is a fantastic example of how the US Navy can incentivize industry to make capital investments and produce the kinds of undersea asymmetric advantages our Fleet Commanders need, on the timelines they need them.”

Anduril’s ‘Reliable, Flexible’ System

Dive-LD is a 3-ton system designed for seafloor missions down to 6,000 meters (19,700 feet).

It is built with a 3D-printed chassis to sustain buoyancy and support user configurations. It has a speed of up to 7 knots (13 kilometers/8 miles per hour), a survey range of up to 313 nautical miles (360 miles/580 miles), and up to 10 days of autonomous, long-endurance deployment.

“Dive-LD is foundational to Anduril’s maritime capabilities for commercial and defense applications,” Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose explained during the recent US Navy competition.

“By combining proven subsea vehicle development expertise with advanced manufacturing processes, the platform is quick to produce, economical to manufacture and service, simple to customize, and robust in operation.”

“Dive-LD is the most reliable and flexible AUV on the market today, capable of rapidly integrating complex payloads or multi-sensor suites to provide advanced capability for a wide range of missions.”

The post Anduril to Open Underwater Drone Factory in Rhode Island appeared first on The Defense Post.

Saab, Anduril Industries, Bollinger Shipyards, Teledyne FLIR, and General Atomics headline the list of chosen contractors.

Marinette Marine Corp., Honeywell International, Leonardo Electronics, and Microsoft are also contract recipients.

According to a Pentagon announcement, the companies will deliver payloads, non-payload sensors, mission support systems, and autonomy and vehicle control systems for the naval drones.

Each of them will be guaranteed a minimum of $1,000 to begin the work for the contract.

The Pentagon expects all work to be completed by February 2025, with a possible extension to 2030.

Need for More Investments

Last month, defense officials told Reuters that the US Navy’s efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because it remains wedded to big shipbuilding programs.

The proliferation of USVs in the Black Sea amid the Ukraine war is reportedly an indication that sea drone warfare has arrived.

The service’s program lead on drones, Rear Adm. Kevin Smith, had the same stance, saying the navy must move its unmanned systems beyond just surveillance roles to be able to carry out more consequential missions.

“I’m confident that the future of our Navy is going to be a mix of conventionally manned platforms with unmanned and autonomous platforms all teamed together,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti told Defense News.

The post US Awards $984M Naval Drone Contract to 49 Firms appeared first on The Defense Post.

Valued at $19 million, the contract requires the American defense firm to demonstrate a high-performance, 21-inch diameter second stage rocket motor at an unspecified date.

The motor should be able to help an SM-6 variant defend against advanced, fast-moving threats.

“As threats from near-peer and non-state adversaries become increasingly advanced and widespread, it is imperative that we expand the supply base for solid rocket motors to meet and deter the threat,” Anduril VP Neil Thurgood said.

Work for the contract will be performed at Anduril’s facilities in Alabama and Mississippi.

Increased Production Capacity

According to the company, the recent agreement is its first public contract with the US Department of Defense as a supplier of rocket motor systems.

It coincides with Anduril’s ongoing efforts to increase its production capacity, first with the tripling of its rocket motor systems workforce over the past year.

The California-based firm’s 450-acre (182 hectares) facility has also been improved to enable high-rate production of solid rocket motors of up to 42 inches in diameter.

“We are thrilled to bring our advanced design, manufacturing, and material science approaches to the US Navy’s SM-6 program, which remains a cornerstone of maritime deterrence against a range of threats,” Thurgood said.

“We look forward to delivering next-generation performance and large-scale producibility through our work on the program.”

About the SM-6

Developed by Raytheon (now RTX), the SM-6 is a multi-mission missile system capable of performing anti-air warfare, ballistic missile defense, and anti-ship strikes.

It is a two-stage weapon, meaning a kill vehicle needs to separate from the booster to engage targets at high precision and speed.

The SM-6 has a listed operational range of 370 kilometers and a speed of 1.03 kilometers (0.6 mile) per second.

“The SM-6 missile is three missiles in one. It’s the only weapon that can perform anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and ballistic missile defense or sea-based terminal missions,” RTX stated on its website.

The post Anduril to Develop Solid Rocket Motor for US Navy’s SM-6 Missile appeared first on The Defense Post.

Anduril, Leidos Dynetics, Zone 5 Technologies, and Integrated Solutions for Systems edged out more than 100 vendors who submitted proposals for the Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) project.

Under the program, selected companies will leverage commercial and dual-use technologies in developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be produced at high rates and affordable costs.

It must be able to support future testing of payloads, such as sensors and other military technologies for airborne operations.

“The ETV presents an opportunity to leverage promising ideas from industry to create and refine affordable designs for test capabilities that can be produced on a relevant timeline,” US Air Force Acquisition Assistant Secretary Andrew Hunter said.

Additional Requirements

The modular drone test vehicle must fly a minimum range of 500 nautical miles (575 miles/926 kilometers) and a speed of 100 knots (185 kilometers/115 miles per hour).

It must also be able to deliver “kinetic payloads,” according to the sources-sought notice.

The US Air Force wants the test vehicle launched in multiple ways, such as from the back of a cargo aircraft.

Additionally, the drone should utilize an open systems architecture approach to accommodate future capabilities.

The four selected vendors must have their prototypes ready for flight demonstration later this year.

At least one promising prototype will be chosen for further development.

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