Anduril reveals family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles

Anduril released a new family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles in an effort to create a more diverse range of defensive measures while building at scale.

Steelfin, a family of highly configurable, mass-producible, surface-to-air interceptor missiles, has been developed to deliver cost, volume and capability across a variety of threats, according to a release.

Steefin uses a two-stage architecture compatible with different fielded designs, allowing the defense company to configure interceptor performance while reusing the same parts, production processes, and design across its family of interceptors.

The missile has a two-stage design with a booster and terminal interceptor, the release states. The first-stage booster can accommodate various solid rocket motor boosters to meet a set range, performance, booster types, launch configurations or packing density requirements. The second stage terminal interceptor shares the same baseline airframe, avionics, software, flight control system and interfaces across all Steelfin variants.

“Steelfin delivers a diversity of effects to meet a diversity of threats,” the release says. “Unlike legacy missiles that carry fixed, inflexible designs that are resistant to change, Steelfin offers a common interceptor architecture that produces a family of interceptor missiles, each of which can be configured for a specific mission.”

The interceptor family was built to address threats across the air-and-missile defense spectrum, such as point defense, integrated air and missile defense and ballistic missile defense, while aiming to come at a fraction of the cost of other interceptors in mission classes.

To address issues with manufacturing volume and high demand, Anduril expects to “surge” production for any Steelfin variant by moving the interceptor through the same production line, with the same tooling, techniques and facilities, since they share a common architecture and components.

Anduril anticipates producing several thousand Steelfin variants per year in the short term, the announcement says.

The variants are compatible with established land- and sea-based launch infrastructure, including the M903A2, Mk 41 Vertical Launch System and Typho systems. Steelfin is meant to be able to integrate with any fielded fire control software systems, like AEGIS and IBCS, to ensure it fits into established battle management processes and procedures.

“By making Steelfin compatible with fielded air defense hardware and software infrastructure, Anduril has streamlined the path to fielding, accelerated deployment, and ensured that Steelfin will multiply the combat power of the joint force on an operationally-relevant timeline,” the release reads.

Anduril has completed ballistic testing with representative air vehicles, and flight testing for Steelfin variants is slated to begin next year.

The company’s current plan is an ambitious effort to expand air defense stockpiles after the Iran war dwindled America’s munitions supply, with analysis detailing that it would take at least three years to replenish to pre-war levels.

The news comes as the U.S. Army recently awarded Anduril a contract to increase delivery of a “common data layer,” meaning software foundation, baseline for Next Generation Command and Control, or NGC2, beginning with 1 Corps, which commands service members across the Indo-Pacific.

The contract’s base period is valued at $162.8 million, but it includes options that could bring the total value up to $1.8 billion over five years.