RIGA, LATVIA — Latvia is planning to acquire Barracuda long-range cruise missiles from U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries as part of efforts to strengthen its long-range strike capability.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs confirmed the plan after visiting Anduril in the United States and meeting its founder, Palmer Luckey. Rinkēvičs said he looked forward to completing the missile acquisition and expanding defense-industry cooperation between Latvia and Anduril.
Latvia and Anduril have not disclosed the number of missiles, purchase cost, delivery schedule or specific Barracuda variant planned for the Latvian military.
Barracuda to Extend Latvia's Strike Range
The Barracuda family was unveiled by Anduril in September 2024 and consists of three turbojet-powered, subsonic cruise missiles: the Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250 and Barracuda-500.
The Barracuda-500 is the largest variant and can carry a warhead of more than 45 kilograms (99 pounds), with a stated range of up to 926 kilometers (575 miles). The three variants share more than 90 percent of their components.
Anduril says the Barracuda family is designed to reduce production costs and manufacturing time, estimating that the missiles cost about 30 percent less and can be produced in roughly half the time of comparable cruise missiles. The missiles can be launched from fighter aircraft, helicopters, cargo aircraft, ships and ground launchers.
According to Anduril, multiple Barracuda missiles can also operate together during a mission, with some missiles able to perform scouting or decoy roles while others conduct strikes.
Latvia currently has ATACMS as its longest-range strike system on order. The country is acquiring ATACMS missiles together with six HIMARS launchers under a U.S.-approved 2023 agreement. ATACMS has a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles). A Barracuda-500 would therefore provide Latvia with a strike range roughly three times longer.
Anduril Expands Barracuda Production
The Latvian plans come as Barracuda production expands. In May 2026, the U.S. Department of War signed a framework agreement under which Anduril will provide at least 1,000 surface-launched Barracuda-500M missiles annually for three years, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.
In July 2026, Poland's state-owned defense group PGZ signed an agreement with Anduril to assemble and later produce the Barracuda-500M at Military Aviation Works No. 2 in Bydgoszcz. PGZ said European production could allow other EU countries to purchase the missile through the EU's SAFE defense loan program.
Cooperation With Origin Robotics
Rinkēvičs's U.S. visit also included cooperation involving Latvia's domestic defense industry. During the visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed involving Anduril and Riga-based Origin Robotics, which develops military drones and autonomous systems.
Origin Robotics' BLAZE is an autonomous counter-drone interceptor that uses radar and AI-supported cameras to locate and engage hostile drones. BLAZE systems have been delivered to Latvia, Estonia and Belgium, and Origin Robotics has a multi-year supply framework with the Latvian armed forces.
The companies plan to explore integrating BLAZE with Anduril's Lattice command-and-control platform. Joint testing and demonstrations are planned in Latvia to assess the combined systems.
The Barracuda acquisition and cooperation with Origin Robotics would give Latvia two additional areas of defense capability: longer-range strike systems and autonomous counter-drone technology. However, the final details of the missile purchase and the cooperation agreements have not been publicly released.
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