Anduril’s new missile swaps boosters to slash costs and take on hypersonic threats

What happened

Anduril’s new missile swaps boosters to slash costs and take on hypersonic threats, according to Interesting Engineering. Anduril is developing a new interceptor missile family designed to help the US military counter aerial threats without exhausting its most expensive defensive weapons. Called Steelfin, the system lets engineers adjust missile configurations for different missions while retaining a common underlying design. Anduril is a defence company based in California.

The concept addresses a growing problem for American air defenses. Cheap drones and mass-produced missiles can force military units to expend costly interceptors against relatively inexpensive targets.

Over a prolonged conflict, replacing those weapons could become a serious challenge. Anduril wants Steelfin to offer a more affordable way to defend against threats across multiple categories.