In December, Straight Arrow News profiled an AI-guided drone hunter from Anduril. Now, the same company has the ALTIUS-700M, a drone that doesn’t need to have the target in sight before being launched.
The ALTIUS-700M can fly for 75 minutes with a range of 100 miles. It’s a loitering drone, which means it can passively wait for the target to come into view before striking and detonating.
Point phone camera here
For example, if someone knows where the enemy is going to be, but it’s unclear where they are coming from, the ALTIUS can circle overhead until the target comes into sight and the operator hits full send.
Anduril released video of the trials at the Dugway Providing Grounds (DPG) in Utah. According to a release from the company, the ALTIUS-700M was armed with a 22 pound warhead and scored several direct hits.
Like its predecessor, the 600M, the 700 can be launched from land, sea or air, making it a versatile and capable option for potential user.
Anduril has yet to say who is interested in adding the ALTIUS-700 to its arsenal, however, the U.S. Army did conduct a successful test with the U.S. Special Operations Command in December.
According to a release from the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Management Office, the 700M was successfully launched from a Black Hawk helicopter.
Anduril is relatively new to the defense industry, started in 2017 by co-founder Palmer Lucky. Lucky is the man behind the Oculus Rift — on of the first commercially available virtual reality headsets.
Access the full Weapons and Warfare episode here.
Access all Weapons and Warfare podcast episodes here.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
TIME NOW FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK, AND FOR SOME OF YOU IT MIGHT COME FROM A FAMILIAR NAME.
BACK IN DECEMBER, ON STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WE PROFILED THE ANDURIL ROADRUNNER. AN AI GUIDED DRONE HUNTER. THIS TIME WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
MEET THE ALTIUS 700-M. CAPABLE OF FLYING FOR 75 MINUTES, WITH A RANGE OF 100 MILES, IT’S WHAT’S KNOWN AS A LOITERING DRONE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE DONE DOESN’T NEED TO HAVE THE TARGET IN SIGHT BEFORE BEING FIRED. INSTEAD, IT CAN PASSIVELY WAIT FOR THE TARGET TO COME INTO VIEW BEFORE STRIKING AND DETONATING.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW WHERE THE ENEMY IS GOING TO BE, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY’RE COMING FROM. THE ALTIUS CAN CIRCLE OVERHEAD, MONITORING THE SITUATION UNTIL THE TARGET COMES INTO SIGHT AND THE OPERATOR HITS FULL SEND.
ANDURIL RECENTLY RELEASED VIDEO OF SOME TRIALS AT THE DUGWAY PROVING GROUNDS IN UTAH. ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE COMPANY THE ALTIUS WAS ARMED WITH A 33-POUND WARHEAD AND SCORED SEVERAL DIRECT HITS.
MUCH LIKE ITS PREDECESSOR, THE 600-M, SEEN HERE, THE 700 CAN ALSO BE LAUNCHED FROM LAND, SEA OR AIR. MAKING IT AN INCREDIBLY VERSATILE, AND CAPABLE, OPTION FOR POTENTIAL USERS.
SPEAKING OF WHICH ANDURIL HAS YET TO SAY WHO IS INTERESTED IN ADDING THE ALTIUS 700 TO THEIR ARSENAL, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE U.S. ARMY CONDUCTED A SUCCESSFUL TEST WITH THE U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND IN EARLY DECEMBER.
ACCORDING TO A RELEASE FROM THE UNCREWED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE, THE 700 M WAS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED FROM A BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER.
A RELATIVE NEWCOMER TO THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY, ANDURIL WAS STARTED IN 2017 BY CO-FOUNDER PALMER LUCKY, THE MAN BEHIND THE OCULUS RIFT, WHICH WAS ONE THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS.
SINCE 2017 THINGS HAVE GONE WELL ENOUGH THAT THE COMPANY RECENTLY TOLD THE WAR ZONE DOT COM THAT THEY SUNK $60 MILLION INTO A NEW 180,000-SQUARE-FOOT PRODUCTION FACILITY IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
