WASHINGTON — May 14, 2026 : Anduril Industries and the United States Department of War have signed a framework agreement to scale production of the Barracuda-500M (SLB-500M) surface-launched cruise missile system for the U.S. Army under the broader Ground-Launched Low-Cost Containerized Munition programme.
The agreement, announced on May 13, 2026, was concluded with the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering (OSW(R&E)) and provides for the production and delivery of at least 3,000 Barracuda-500M systems over a three-year period to the Army’s Program Acquisition Executive FIRES (PAE FIRES). The contract establishes annual production targets of no fewer than 1,000 complete missile systems, with first deliveries scheduled for the first half of 2027.
As part of the programme, Anduril will also provide associated containerised launch systems, beginning with an initial delivery of more than 60 launchers in 2027. The company stated that production quantities could increase further depending on future Department of War requirements.
Long-Range Precision Strike System
The Barracuda-500M is a subsonic, turbojet-powered stand-off strike missile designed for operations against both land and maritime targets. The weapon carries a 100-pound high-explosive payload and has a range exceeding 500 nautical miles (approximately 575 miles).
According to technical specifications released by the company, the missile is capable of performing 5G+ evasive manoeuvres to reduce interception risk and can remain airborne in a loitering configuration for up to 120 minutes before target engagement. The system is also designed with a modular architecture that allows integration of different onboard sensors and mission packages.
The missile can integrate with Anduril’s Lattice for Mission Autonomy software, enabling autonomous and collaborative operations between multiple systems in contested operational environments. The open-system architecture also allows operators to use existing military fire-control systems to select targets and initiate launches without requiring dedicated infrastructure.
Containerised Launch Architecture
The surface-launched variant is housed inside a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container, with each launcher capable of carrying up to 16 complete missile systems. The launch units are designed as self-contained systems requiring no additional fixed infrastructure, allowing rapid deployment in dispersed or austere operational environments.
The company also stated that the missile can be deployed independently of the containerised launcher configuration to support different operational requirements and mission profiles.
High-Volume Manufacturing Model
Anduril stated that the Barracuda family was engineered from the outset for scalable, high-volume production. Approximately 70 percent of the missile’s components are commercially available commodity parts, while the remaining systems are sourced through open-architecture supply arrangements involving multiple vendors to reduce supply-chain risks.
According to the company, assembly of a single missile requires approximately 30 hours and can be completed using ten common hand tools, an approach intended to simplify production expansion during sustained procurement periods.
To support immediate manufacturing requirements, Anduril invested more than $40 million into a dedicated 115,000-square-foot production facility in Southern California, where production of Barracuda variants is already underway.
Future full-rate production of the Barracuda-500M and related systems is expected to transition to Arsenal-1, Anduril’s planned 5-million-square-foot manufacturing facility near Columbus, Ohio. The nearly $1 billion facility is designed to support flexible large-scale weapons manufacturing with production lines capable of shifting rapidly between systems based on operational demand.
Expansion of Rocket Motor Production
The company has also expanded its domestic solid rocket motor manufacturing capacity to support Barracuda booster production. Anduril invested $75 million in private funding alongside $58 million in Defense Production Act Title III funding to expand a rocket motor production facility in Mississippi.
Following the expansion, the company stated it has become the third U.S. supplier of solid rocket motors, strengthening domestic supply capacity for precision-guided weapon programmes.
Anduril expects overall production capacity for the Barracuda-500 family to reach the high single-digit thousands of systems annually by the end of the current year as the programme advances toward full-rate production.
——— End of Article ———
