The cost is only a "fraction" of that of Thaad! Anduril launches mass production of "steel-fin anti-aircraft missile"

The concept drawing of the "Steelfin" modular anti-aircraft missile released by Anduril shows a two-section design with the booster and terminal interceptor body separated. (Taken from the official website of Anduril Industries)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] On the 12th, Anduril Industries, a new U.S. defense technology startup, released the "Steelfin" modular surface-to-air interception missile family, which adopts a common architecture and is equipped with different boosters and terminal interception components according to mission requirements. The company said its short-term goal is to increase annual production to thousands, covering different air threats such as drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons.

The Mk 41 vertical launch system of the US Aegis destroyer USS Fitzgerald can launch a variety of missiles and is one of the existing launch platforms Anduril plans to use for the "Steel Fin" anti-aircraft missile. (Picture taken from U.S. Navy)

The US military news website "The War Zone" reported that Anduril hopes to allow different types of interceptor missiles to share components and production lines through common design and production processes. "Steel Fin" adopts a two-section structure, the first section is the booster rocket, and the second section is the terminal interceptor missile. Different configurations can share the fuselage, avionics, flight control software and interface, and then adjust according to mission requirements.

The "steel fin" design includes two configurations: direct impact (hit-to-kill) and fragmentation kill. Anduril currently plans to use boosters with diameters of 10 inches, 18 inches and 21 inches, with different configurations corresponding to different missions and launch platforms.

Anduril said that the design of the "Steel Fin" will cover a variety of launch platforms and fire control systems, including the M903A2 launcher used by the Patriot air defense system, the Mk 41 vertical launch system used with the Aegis combat system, and the land-based Typhon medium-range missile system. The company has also proposed the idea of ​​using multiple reloads in the Mk 41 vertical launch system.

Anduril director Steve Milano said that the cost of the high-end version of the "Steel Fin" will be lower than the U.S. military's Terminal High Altitude Defense (THAAD) interceptor, commonly known as THAAD, and claimed that it can complete all interception tasks within the scope of THAAD at "a fraction of the cost of THAAD."

Another configuration designed for the mission of the Patriot system, Milano said that the "steel fin" costs less than half of the Patriot interceptor and can still achieve about 80% of the relevant mission capabilities. As for the low-end configuration, he said that its capabilities can reach more than 80% of the "standard" series missile SM-2, and the cost is about one-third of the latter.

Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Christian Brose said that the company has completed ballistic testing using representative flying vehicles and plans to start flight testing in 2027. The company's short-term goal is to increase the annual production of "steel fins" to thousands.