U.S. Anduril ALTIUS-600M and 700M Loitering Munitions Unify Reconnaissance and Strike in One Munition
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On June 16, 2025, Anduril Industries, a defense firm based in California, revealed its ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M loitering munitions during the Paris Air Show 2025, marking a pivotal moment in autonomous aerial warfare systems within the U.S. multi-domain combat concept. Designed to offer extended-range precision strikes with high levels of autonomy, these drones embody a shift in how the U.S. and its allies envision future strike operations. Capable of bridging ISR and kinetic action in contested environments, their unveiling attracted significant attention from NATO and European partners. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The unveiling of the ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M at the Paris Air Show 2025 confirms Anduril’s central role in redefining the operational doctrine of loitering munitions within the U.S. and allied armed forces (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M are modular, autonomous loitering munitions developed to perform persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, conduct precision strikes, and execute electronic warfare tasks. The ALTIUS-600M is a medium-weight airframe designed for rapid deployment from a range of platforms, airborne, surface, and ground-launched, while the heavier ALTIUS-700M boasts longer endurance and greater payload capacity, including lethal and non-lethal mission kits. Integrated with Anduril’s Lattice software platform, both systems are capable of operating independently or as part of a coordinated network under a single operator, drastically reducing cognitive load and accelerating decision cycles on the battlefield.
The ALTIUS lineage originated from Area-I’s experimental ALTIUS platform, which became part of Anduril’s portfolio following the acquisition of the company in 2021. Since then, the program has benefited from accelerated development through venture-funded innovation cycles and direct collaboration with U.S. defense agencies. The ALTIUS-600M entered evaluation under the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical UAS program and was integrated into the Special Operations Command’s testbeds for distributed lethality. The larger 700M variant, still under classified evaluations, is reportedly aligned with U.S. Air Force efforts for autonomous long-range strike and survivable ISR solutions, suggesting it may be embedded in future doctrines involving Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
Compared to legacy loitering munitions like the AeroVironment Switchblade 600 or the Israeli IAI Harop, the ALTIUS systems offer greater endurance, platform flexibility, and seamless integration with AI-based command and control networks. The Switchblade, while lightweight and portable, lacks the mission scalability of the ALTIUS-600M. The Harop, designed primarily as a suicide drone, offers endurance but not the same multi-domain adaptability or software-defined mission versatility. Anduril’s strength lies in combining autonomy, modular payloads, and real-time networking, a combination still rare in the loitering munition domain.
Strategically, these systems represent a force multiplier across multiple theaters. In a geopolitical context increasingly shaped by peer competition and contested airspace, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe, systems like the ALTIUS-600M and 700M are central to the U.S. strategy of deploying attritable, distributed, and intelligent strike assets. Their potential deployment from naval vessels, ground vehicles, or aircraft gives commanders unprecedented operational flexibility. Militarily, they enable persistent overwatch and precision strike even in GPS-denied or heavily jammed environments, offering a robust response to modern A2/AD (anti-access/area-denial) challenges.
Financially, the ALTIUS program has attracted increasing Pentagon investment. While exact budgetary figures remain undisclosed, it is known that the U.S. Army awarded a multi-year contract in 2024 to Anduril for an undisclosed number of ALTIUS-600M units, as part of a broader tactical drone modernization program. The U.S. Special Operations Command has also been a recurring client for earlier ALTIUS variants, reinforcing the strategic utility of the platform. Reports indicate that additional contracts for the 700M may be imminent, especially as the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps explore loitering munitions for expeditionary strike roles.
The unveiling of the ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M at the Paris Air Show 2025 confirms Anduril’s central role in redefining the operational doctrine of loitering munitions within the U.S. and allied armed forces. With unmatched modularity, autonomy, and endurance, these systems signal a transformation in how intelligence, strike, and electronic warfare converge on tomorrow’s battlefield. In a global environment demanding fast, precise, and flexible capabilities, ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M stand as a defining symbol of the next generation of autonomous warfare.
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On June 16, 2025, Anduril Industries, a defense firm based in California, revealed its ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M loitering munitions during the Paris Air Show 2025, marking a pivotal moment in autonomous aerial warfare systems within the U.S. multi-domain combat concept. Designed to offer extended-range precision strikes with high levels of autonomy, these drones embody a shift in how the U.S. and its allies envision future strike operations. Capable of bridging ISR and kinetic action in contested environments, their unveiling attracted significant attention from NATO and European partners.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The unveiling of the ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M at the Paris Air Show 2025 confirms Anduril’s central role in redefining the operational doctrine of loitering munitions within the U.S. and allied armed forces (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M are modular, autonomous loitering munitions developed to perform persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, conduct precision strikes, and execute electronic warfare tasks. The ALTIUS-600M is a medium-weight airframe designed for rapid deployment from a range of platforms, airborne, surface, and ground-launched, while the heavier ALTIUS-700M boasts longer endurance and greater payload capacity, including lethal and non-lethal mission kits. Integrated with Anduril’s Lattice software platform, both systems are capable of operating independently or as part of a coordinated network under a single operator, drastically reducing cognitive load and accelerating decision cycles on the battlefield.
The ALTIUS lineage originated from Area-I’s experimental ALTIUS platform, which became part of Anduril’s portfolio following the acquisition of the company in 2021. Since then, the program has benefited from accelerated development through venture-funded innovation cycles and direct collaboration with U.S. defense agencies. The ALTIUS-600M entered evaluation under the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical UAS program and was integrated into the Special Operations Command’s testbeds for distributed lethality. The larger 700M variant, still under classified evaluations, is reportedly aligned with U.S. Air Force efforts for autonomous long-range strike and survivable ISR solutions, suggesting it may be embedded in future doctrines involving Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
Compared to legacy loitering munitions like the AeroVironment Switchblade 600 or the Israeli IAI Harop, the ALTIUS systems offer greater endurance, platform flexibility, and seamless integration with AI-based command and control networks. The Switchblade, while lightweight and portable, lacks the mission scalability of the ALTIUS-600M. The Harop, designed primarily as a suicide drone, offers endurance but not the same multi-domain adaptability or software-defined mission versatility. Anduril’s strength lies in combining autonomy, modular payloads, and real-time networking, a combination still rare in the loitering munition domain.
Strategically, these systems represent a force multiplier across multiple theaters. In a geopolitical context increasingly shaped by peer competition and contested airspace, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe, systems like the ALTIUS-600M and 700M are central to the U.S. strategy of deploying attritable, distributed, and intelligent strike assets. Their potential deployment from naval vessels, ground vehicles, or aircraft gives commanders unprecedented operational flexibility. Militarily, they enable persistent overwatch and precision strike even in GPS-denied or heavily jammed environments, offering a robust response to modern A2/AD (anti-access/area-denial) challenges.
Financially, the ALTIUS program has attracted increasing Pentagon investment. While exact budgetary figures remain undisclosed, it is known that the U.S. Army awarded a multi-year contract in 2024 to Anduril for an undisclosed number of ALTIUS-600M units, as part of a broader tactical drone modernization program. The U.S. Special Operations Command has also been a recurring client for earlier ALTIUS variants, reinforcing the strategic utility of the platform. Reports indicate that additional contracts for the 700M may be imminent, especially as the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps explore loitering munitions for expeditionary strike roles.
The unveiling of the ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M at the Paris Air Show 2025 confirms Anduril’s central role in redefining the operational doctrine of loitering munitions within the U.S. and allied armed forces. With unmatched modularity, autonomy, and endurance, these systems signal a transformation in how intelligence, strike, and electronic warfare converge on tomorrow’s battlefield. In a global environment demanding fast, precise, and flexible capabilities, ALTIUS-600M and ALTIUS-700M stand as a defining symbol of the next generation of autonomous warfare.
