YUMA PROVING GROUND, Arizona — March 27, 2026 : The U.S. Army has successfully conducted a flight test of the Altius-700 (A-700) Medium-Range Launched Effect (MR-LE), a loitering munition developed by Anduril Industries, demonstrating its deployment from an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. The test, carried out on February 26, 2026, marks a key step in integrating uncrewed aerial effects with manned aviation platforms.
The demonstration took place during the Cross Domain Fires Concept Focused Warfighting Experiment (CDF CFWE) 26 at Yuma Proving Ground and was led by the Army’s Aviation Future Capability Directorate (A-FCD). The event formed part of a broader evaluation of multi-domain operational concepts, focusing on the coordination of crewed and uncrewed systems in contested environments.
Apache-Based Launch Demonstration
During the test, the AH-64E Apache deployed the Altius-700 from its pylon in multiple flight conditions, including both stationary hover and forward motion. These launch profiles were designed to assess operational flexibility and validate deployment procedures under varying mission scenarios.
The integration effort progressed from an initial requirement to a demonstrated capability in under six months, despite a 43-day U.S. government shutdown that occurred during the fabrication and installation phases. According to the Army, the test included engagements against a range of target sets to evaluate the system’s ability to extend sensing and strike capabilities beyond the immediate battlespace.
The Yuma demonstration was part of a distributed testing campaign that also involved activities at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and White Sands Missile Range. Personnel from the 1st Armored Division and multiple defense industry partners participated in the evaluations.
System Design and Capabilities
The Altius-700 is a modular, tube-launched, seven-inch-class autonomous aerial system designed for multi-mission roles. It can operate independently or in coordination with its launch platform, functioning as an extension of manned systems.
The system supports a range of mission configurations, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare (EW), and communications relay. Its modular architecture allows for rapid reconfiguration depending on mission requirements.
In its baseline MR-LE configuration, the Altius-700 offers an operational range of up to 460 kilometers and an endurance of approximately four hours. These characteristics enable extended loitering and persistent surveillance over large operational areas.
A related kinetic variant, the Altius-700M, incorporates a warhead payload of up to 33 pounds (approximately 15 kilograms), comparable in effect to the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. This version provides a range of up to 160 kilometers and an endurance of around 75 minutes, supporting precision engagement of armored vehicles, vessels, and fortified infrastructure.
Development and Testing Background
The Altius family, originally developed using Area-I technologies and later integrated into Anduril’s portfolio, has been designed for launch from a wide range of platforms, including ground vehicles, maritime vessels, fixed-wing aircraft, and rotary-wing systems operating at varying altitudes.
Earlier prototypes combined the Altius-700 air vehicle with mission systems from Collins Aerospace and incorporated non-kinetic payloads such as radio frequency detection and decoy technologies supplied by companies including Northrop Grumman.
Testing of the Medium-Range Launched Effects (LE-MR) prototype began with initial flight trials in early 2024 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. These trials included the first medium-range flights and air-launch demonstrations from platforms such as the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Subsequent live-fire testing in September 2024 validated the kinetic variant, with fully integrated Altius-700M systems achieving direct target hits across six missions using live warheads.
Operational Role and Modernization Context
The Launched Effects program is a central component of the U.S. Army’s modernization strategy aimed at enhancing survivability and operational reach in multi-domain environments. By deploying loitering munitions such as the Altius-700 from standoff distances, manned platforms like the Apache can conduct reconnaissance and strike missions while remaining outside the engagement envelope of adversary air defense systems.
The February 2026 test represents the first confirmed launch of the Altius-700 MR-LE from an AH-64E Apache, building on earlier demonstrations conducted with the UH-60 Black Hawk. Development of the Apache-launched capability began in late summer 2025 and achieved operational demonstration within a compressed timeline.
Data collected from the Yuma Proving Ground tests will be used to refine operational concepts, validate tactics, and support future rapid fielding decisions. While the Army confirmed successful launches and system performance, no additional details regarding specific warhead effects or engagement outcomes were disclosed.
The continued development of the Altius series reflects ongoing efforts to integrate autonomous systems across air, land, and maritime domains, with an emphasis on extended endurance, modular payloads, and coordinated multi-platform operations.
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