Anduril unveils Steelfin missile tests

Anduril, an American defense technology company, announced the start of tests for its Steelfin missile, a ground-to-air interceptor designed to handle a wide range of aerial threats, including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic weapons.

Steelfin's modular design

The company presented the Steelfin missile on October 12, describing it as a highly configurable, mass-produced family of interceptors capable of offering cost, volume, and capacity superiority over existing solutions. The Steelfin missile is composed of two stages: a propulsion stage with interchangeable solid-fuel propellants and a terminal interceptor stage with an open interface that allows for the integration of different autonomous guidance systems.

Addressing evolving threats

Anduril highlighted that the current arsenal of interceptors was not designed to handle the evolving nature of threats demonstrated in recent conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, where inexpensive drones and difficult-to-intercept ballistic missiles are used simultaneously. Traditional interceptors, such as the PAC-3 missiles in the Patriot system, are costly, with each missile costing approximately three million dollars, while the drones they are meant to counter cost only tens of thousands of dollars.

Barracuda cruise missile

The company also unveiled a cruise missile called Barracuda in September 2024, which was available in three versions and could be produced on a large scale, quickly, and at a lower cost. The Barracuda was intended to anticipate potential high-intensity conflicts where stocks of complex ammunition could be depleted rapidly.

Shared principles with Barracuda

Anduril stated that the Steelfin missile family shares the same principles as the Barracuda, with a common architecture that allows for configuration according to the nature of the threats and their evolution. The different models of Steelfin have a common architecture, which allows them to be configured according to the nature of the threats and their evolution. The structure, software, and flight controls are identical across all models.

Compatibility with existing launchers

The various versions of Steelfin are compatible with all launch systems used by American forces, including the M903A2 launcher, Mk41, and Typhon. However, the manufacturer did not provide an estimate for the cost of the Steelfin missile.

Production and scalability

Anduril argues that traditional interceptors combine sophisticated designs with highly customized production systems, each missile requiring different tooling, processes, suppliers, and facilities. This fragmentation of production volumes across multiple programs complicates increasing production in the event of increased demand. By designing Steelfin around a common base and production process, the company can easily increase the production of each variant to meet new needs, stating it is capable of producing "several thousand" units per year in the short term, with a "modular capacity depending on demand."

Future tests and integration

Flight tests for the Steelfin missile are not expected to begin until 2027, and it remains to be seen whether these missiles can be easily integrated into the AEGIS or IBCS air defense systems and whether they will be effective against the threats they are supposed to counter. The announcement comes amid a global shortage of PAC-3 interceptors, which are part of the American ground-to-air defense system Patriot. Deliveries to Ukraine and the war in the Middle East have led to a high consumption of these expensive and time-consuming-to-produce missiles. As winter approaches, Kyiv is suffering from a shortage of interceptors capable of countering the ballistic missiles fired every night by Russia.