Anduril Unveils Steelfin Missile as a Low-Cost Alternative to the PAC-3, With Plans to Produce Several Thousand Missiles Per Year

Anduril Industries has presented the Steelfin family of anti-aircraft interceptor missiles, which it positions as a low-cost alternative to the PAC-3 missiles used in the Patriot air defense system.

The War Zone reported this.

The developer aims to ensure the new missiles are compatible with existing air defense infrastructure.

According to the media, the Steelfin missiles are being developed to launch from the M903A2 launcher used for the PAC-3 family of interceptor missiles.

Anduril spokesperson Steve Milano told The War Zone that the Steelfin configuration, designed to perform PAC-3 missions, will provide about 80% of PAC-3’s capabilities at less than half the cost of a PAC-3 missile.

The company also plans to ramp up production to several thousand interceptors per year, using a common production line for different missile versions.

The modular design will allow for the replacement of engines, warheads, and other components depending on the mission. The missiles will feature a two-stage design. The first stage will be a booster that determines range and flight characteristics, while the second stage will be the interceptor itself.

The company is developing the Steelfin family to intercept cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as hypersonic targets. Anduril is also exploring integrating the missiles with the Mk 41 ship-based vertical launch system and the Typhon ground-based system.

According to Anduril representative Steve Milano, a more powerful Steelfin configuration will be able to perform the tasks of the THAAD missile defense system at a significantly lower cost.

The company has already conducted ballistic tests of prototype models and plans to begin flight tests of various configurations in 2027.

Militarnyi previously reported that the American company Lockheed Martin had developed a new PAC-3 Edge interceptor missile for the Patriot air defense system. It is designed to counter hypersonic and other modern missile threats.