🇺🇸 The rapidly growing US defense startup Anduril has introduced the Steelfin family of modular guided interceptors, designed to engage cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Steelfin variants are reportedly compatible with existing land-based and naval launchers, including the Patriot PAC-3’s M903A2, the Mk 41 naval vertical launch system, Typhon launchers, and other prospective containerized launch systems. They are also designed to integrate with any existing fire control system, including AEGIS and IBCS, allowing “seamless” integration into established air defense command processes and procedures. According to Anduril, Steelfin is a highly configurable family of interceptors designed for mass production and intended to provide advantages in cost, production volume and capability against modern threats, including cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Its common two-stage architecture allows interceptor performance to be tailored to different missions while retaining many of the same components, manufacturing processes and design features across the family. Steelfin was designed from the outset to evolve with changing requirements without requiring a complete, multiyear redesign of the underlying platform. It comprises a first stage with a solid-fuel rocket motor and a second interceptor stage, providing the flexibility to match performance to each threat. The first stage can accommodate different solid-fuel rocket motors to meet specific requirements for range, performance, booster type, launch configuration or packing density. The second stage uses a common terminal interceptor architecture, sharing the same basic airframe, avionics, software, flight control system and interfaces across all Steelfin variants. Open, modular interfaces between the terminal stage’s subsystems allow Anduril to integrate different seekers, flight control systems and other components without redesigning the entire missile. Anduril claims Steelfin missiles will cost significantly less than conventional interceptors in each mission class. The company plans to produce “several thousand” missiles annually across the various versions in the near term, “with production capacity designed to adapt flexibly to changes in demand.” #info #USA #SAM #Patriot
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