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.
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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.
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