Anduril poised to fill America’s missile supply gap

American defense contractor Anduril Industries aims to replenish critically depleted US weapon stockpiles with its new low-cost Barracuda cruise missile amid multiple challenges in the US and allied defense production base for such munitions.

This month, Anduril unveiled the Barracuda family of Autonomous Air Vehicles (AAVs), including the Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250 and Barracuda-500 – all of which are designed for affordable, hyper-scale production.

Anduril mentions that these air-breathing, software-defined expendable AAVs offer increasing size, range and payload capacity and are compatible with various payloads and employment mechanisms.

The company says the Barracuda-M configuration provides a cost-effective, adaptable cruise missile capability, addressing the US and its allies’ pressing need for more producible and upgradeable precision-guided munitions (PGM).

The Barracuda family of AAVs features advanced autonomous behaviors, turbojets and air-breathing engines, enabling high speeds, maneuverability and extended ranges. Anduril says the Barracuda is designed for rapid, low-cost assembly and requires fewer tools and parts, making it 30% cheaper than competitors.

It notes that its modular design allows for quick adaptation to evolving threats and new technologies, leveraging commercially derived components for supply chain resilience. The Barracuda family also supports various mission sets and can be deployed from multiple platforms, including fifth-generation fighter aircraft and surface vessels.

With Barracuda, Anduril says it aims to rebuild the US arsenal with these intelligent, flexible and mass-producible weapons, combining modern software with cutting-edge hardware to enhance air dominance and strike