U.S. DoD Acquires VTOL Interceptors to Combat UAS Threats

Anduril Industries has been awarded a contract to deliver advanced air defense capabilities across services for the United States Department of Defense.

This contract, worth almost $250 million, encompasses the provision of more than 500 Roadrunner-Ms and additional Pulsar electronic warfare capabilities, addressing the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) attacks against U.S. forces.

Anduril’s Roadrunner system, a high-explosive vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) interceptor unveiled last year, has been developed to rapidly intercept and neutralize larger UAS threats with unmatched speed, maneuverability, and cost efficiency.

Paired with Anduril’s Pulsar family of AI-enabled electronic warfare systems, this new generation of UAS defense capability will be deployed to operational sites in priority regions where U.S. forces face significant UAS threats, further enhancing U.S. air defense capabilities at the tactical edge.

Roadrunner has been operationally deployed for Combat Evaluation since January 2024 and Pulsar has been operationally deployed in multiple regions since August 2023. This latest contract award highlights Anduril’s commitment to investing its own Research and Development to support defense innovation, providing rapid, scalable solutions to safeguard U.S. forces.

Roadrunner went from an idea to a combat-validated and fieldable solution in less than two years, which is much faster than most traditional contractor timelines. Known as the world’s first recoverable explosive weapon, Roadrunner exemplifies the next-generation capability required to confront the increasingly complex threat landscape.

Anduril Industries has secured nearly $350 million in contracts since the public launch of its Roadrunner and Pulsar systems, providing advanced air defense capabilities to multiple branches of the U.S. Department of Defense. These contracts support a range of efforts, including operational deployments, system validation testing, experimentation, and integration with existing defense systems, ensuring seamless performance across the services.

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