Anduril and Rheinmetall Partner to Strengthen Europe’s Autonomous Drone Capabilities
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On June 18, 2025, Anduril Industries and Rheinmetall formalized a strategic partnership aimed at co-developing and manufacturing a series of software-defined autonomous aerial systems and advanced propulsion capabilities in Europe. This collaboration between the American defense technology firm and the German industrial group reflects a shift from traditional military cooperation models toward a faster, modular, and sovereignty-oriented approach.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Barracuda and its variant, Barracuda-M, are designed to offer European armed forces an affordable and flexible drone capable of supporting a variety of payloads and targeting modes. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The partnership is initially structured around three key areas. First, the integration of a European version of Anduril’s Barracuda, a low-cost, modular, mass-producible autonomous aerial vehicle, into Rheinmetall’s sovereign digital framework known as “Battlesuite.” Second, the companies will work together to deliver a European variant of the Fury, a high-performance Group 5 drone designed to operate in coordination with manned aircraft. Third, the two partners will explore the development of a European supply chain for solid rocket motors, using Anduril’s production methodologies.
The stated objective is to provide systems built with Europeans, not just for them. This “built with, not for” philosophy aims to move away from dependency-driven industrial and technological frameworks by emphasizing transparency, local control, and adaptability. The systems developed under this partnership will include sovereign suppliers and industrial partners across Europe, thereby contributing to the continent’s strategic resilience.
The Barracuda and its variant, Barracuda-M are designed to offer European armed forces an affordable and flexible drone capable of supporting a variety of payloads and targeting modes. Their modular design and scalable production are intended to meet the diverse operational needs of European forces. Fury represents a new class of combat drone, tailored for network-centric warfare. It is built to integrate into national command-and-control architectures and can accommodate multiple sensors and payloads to suit various mission profiles, while maintaining performance comparable to that of an advanced fighter aircraft.
In parallel, the joint effort to establish a European capability for solid rocket motors is intended to enhance autonomy in propulsion systems. The production line could provide industrial redundancy and delivery capacity at scale, especially in situations where domestic sources remain insufficient.
This agreement builds on previous cooperation between Anduril and Rheinmetall, including the development of a layered counter-UAS solution and a joint bid for the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program. Both companies are committed to moving away from slow, proprietary development cycles in favor of a co-development model emphasizing speed, modularity, and technological openness. This framework is aligned with NATO’s evolving needs while enabling allied nations to shape and adapt their defense capabilities within a shared structure.
In summary, the partnership between Rheinmetall and Anduril lays the groundwork for a new industrial cooperation model in defense, one that is adaptable, distributed, rooted in European sovereignty, and focused on technological evolution. It aims to deliver relevant, accessible, and interoperable systems in response to Europe’s future strategic challenges.
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On June 18, 2025, Anduril Industries and Rheinmetall formalized a strategic partnership aimed at co-developing and manufacturing a series of software-defined autonomous aerial systems and advanced propulsion capabilities in Europe. This collaboration between the American defense technology firm and the German industrial group reflects a shift from traditional military cooperation models toward a faster, modular, and sovereignty-oriented approach.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Barracuda and its variant, Barracuda-M, are designed to offer European armed forces an affordable and flexible drone capable of supporting a variety of payloads and targeting modes. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
The partnership is initially structured around three key areas. First, the integration of a European version of Anduril’s Barracuda, a low-cost, modular, mass-producible autonomous aerial vehicle, into Rheinmetall’s sovereign digital framework known as “Battlesuite.” Second, the companies will work together to deliver a European variant of the Fury, a high-performance Group 5 drone designed to operate in coordination with manned aircraft. Third, the two partners will explore the development of a European supply chain for solid rocket motors, using Anduril’s production methodologies.
The stated objective is to provide systems built with Europeans, not just for them. This “built with, not for” philosophy aims to move away from dependency-driven industrial and technological frameworks by emphasizing transparency, local control, and adaptability. The systems developed under this partnership will include sovereign suppliers and industrial partners across Europe, thereby contributing to the continent’s strategic resilience.
The Barracuda and its variant, Barracuda-M are designed to offer European armed forces an affordable and flexible drone capable of supporting a variety of payloads and targeting modes. Their modular design and scalable production are intended to meet the diverse operational needs of European forces. Fury represents a new class of combat drone, tailored for network-centric warfare. It is built to integrate into national command-and-control architectures and can accommodate multiple sensors and payloads to suit various mission profiles, while maintaining performance comparable to that of an advanced fighter aircraft.
In parallel, the joint effort to establish a European capability for solid rocket motors is intended to enhance autonomy in propulsion systems. The production line could provide industrial redundancy and delivery capacity at scale, especially in situations where domestic sources remain insufficient.
This agreement builds on previous cooperation between Anduril and Rheinmetall, including the development of a layered counter-UAS solution and a joint bid for the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program. Both companies are committed to moving away from slow, proprietary development cycles in favor of a co-development model emphasizing speed, modularity, and technological openness. This framework is aligned with NATO’s evolving needs while enabling allied nations to shape and adapt their defense capabilities within a shared structure.
In summary, the partnership between Rheinmetall and Anduril lays the groundwork for a new industrial cooperation model in defense, one that is adaptable, distributed, rooted in European sovereignty, and focused on technological evolution. It aims to deliver relevant, accessible, and interoperable systems in response to Europe’s future strategic challenges.
