Anduril unveils Steelfin missile family to counter ballistic, hypersonic threats
Anduril unveiled Steelfin, a family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles built around a common two-stage design, on October 12, 2026. The company says the family is intended to counter ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats.
According to Anduril’s announcement, each Steelfin variant pairs a first-stage booster with a second-stage terminal interceptor. The first stage can use different solid rocket motors depending on the required range, performance, and launch configuration.
The second stage is common across the family, sharing the same basic airframe, avionics, software and flight control system. Anduril says the modular design also allows different seekers and mission systems to be integrated without redesigning the entire missile.
Anduril targets thousands of interceptors per year
Anduril presents the shared architecture as a way to simplify manufacturing and increase production. By building the different Steelfin variants around common components and production processes, the company says it can shift manufacturing capacity between variants as demand changes.
Anduril aims to produce several thousand Steelfin interceptors annually in the near term, although it has not announced firm production quantities or customer orders.
The company also says Steelfin is designed to work with existing air defense launchers and software, potentially allowing operators to introduce the interceptors without developing entirely new supporting systems.
Anduril has completed ballistic testing with representative air vehicles and plans to begin flight testing Steelfin variants in 2027. The company has not announced a date for operational deployment.
US Army seeks new generation of missile interceptors
Artist’s rendering of Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Edge interceptor, developed for the US Army’s Future Interceptor program to counter advanced ballistic and hypersonic missile threats. (Credit: Lockheed Martin)Anduril already has a role in US Army air defense modernization through its solid rocket motor business. Its motor powers the Boeing midrange interceptor that advanced to Phase 2 of the US Army’s Integrated Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 Second Interceptor competition in September 2026.
The Steelfin announcement also comes just three days after Lockheed Martin unveiled PAC-3 Edge, a new interceptor developed for the US Army’s Future Interceptor program.
Announced on October 9, 2026, PAC-3 Edge builds on the existing PAC-3 MSE missile, incorporating a new seeker developed by Lockheed Martin, a multi-pulse solid rocket motor from Northrop Grumman, and upgraded flight controls.
The company says the improvements will extend the interceptor’s range and altitude performance against advanced missile and hypersonic threats.
Lockheed Martin said the US Army had selected PAC-3 Edge to advance to the next stage of development, with testing scheduled to begin in 2027 and deployment targeted by 2031.
Both developments come as the Pentagon seeks to expand its missile defense capabilities while increasing production of existing systems.
On August 31, 2026, the Pentagon signed seven-year framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics aimed at tripling Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) production capacity and quadrupling Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor capacity.
On October 5, 2026, Boeing received a contract worth approximately $14.7 billion from Lockheed Martin to expand production of PAC-3 MSE seekers.The post Anduril unveils Steelfin missile family to counter ballistic, hypersonic threats appeared first on AeroTime.
Anduril unveiled Steelfin, a family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles built around a common two-stage design, on October 12,…
The post Anduril unveils Steelfin missile family to counter ballistic, hypersonic threats appeared first on AeroTime.
