Anduril Industries Unveils New Autonomous Drones

By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Anduril Industries released new, autonomous drones on Thursday designed for intelligence gathering and lethal missions, responding to rising demand following the success of similar products in Ukraine, which are much cheaper than fighter jets.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has underscored the significance of loitering munitions—lightweight aerial weapons capable of hovering over areas to conduct surveys and execute quick, precise strikes—over more costly and vulnerable fighter jets.

The new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Autonomous Air Vehicles (AAVs) are engineered to offer versatile capabilities across various missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), search and rescue operations, and a loitering munitions variant for targeting enemy forces.

The systems boast a flight time exceeding 40 minutes and a range of 20 km (12 miles), according to the company.

Privately-owned Anduril disclosed that it is under contract to deliver lethal Bolts to the U.S. Marine Corps, with typical Bolt configurations priced in the low tens of thousands of dollars.