Rheinmetall and Anduril Industries have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and deliver a suite of software-defined autonomous air systems and advanced propulsion capabilities for Europe. The partnership is centered on the development of three proven capabilities, with the intention to extend to more over time:
- The integration of a European variant of Anduril´s Barracuda as part of Anduril’s family of low-cost, mass-producible autonomous air vehicles into Rheinmetall´s digital sovereignty framework (“Battlesuite”).
- The inclusion of a European variant of Anduril´s Fury, a high-performance, multi-mission group 5 autonomous air vehicle (AAV), into Rheinmetall´s digital sovereignty framework (“Battlesuite”).
- The exploration of opportunities for solid rocket motors for European use leveraging Anduril’s new production approaches.
These systems will be jointly developed and produced by the two companies, incorporating sovereign suppliers and industrial partners throughout Europe.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, said, “Rheinmetall has always stood for reliability, scale, and strategic depth in defence manufacturing. By integrating Anduril`s solutions into Rheinmetall´s European production set up and digital sovereignty framework, we’re building on that foundation to bring new kinds of autonomous capabilities into service, ones that are quick to produce, modular, and aligned with NATO’s evolving requirements.”
This partnership is a long-term shared investment in co-developing fielded systems tailored to the specific needs of each European regional market.
The integration of Barracuda and Barracuda-M into Rheinmetall´s systems will provide European militaries with an autonomous air vehicle designed for hyperscale production. Its modular design supports a wide range of payloads and targeting modes making it a flexible option for the unique needs of European forces.
The inclusion of Fury, an autonomous air vehicle designed to operate as part of manned-unmanned teams of aircraft, into Rheinmetall´s ecosystem of products allows each country to configure its own command-and-control systems and operational constraints. Fury is designed to deliver advanced fighter performance with the flexibility to integrate a variety of sensors and payloads in support of mission requirements.
The partnership builds on earlier collaboration between the two companies, including the development of a layer countered UAS solution and a joint pursuit of the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program.
