Eager to broaden the Australian military’s knowledge of its products, which is currently focused mostly on the Ghost Shark autonomous drone submarine, Anduril Australia has introduced its Roadrunner autonomous air vehicle and other systems for the first time.
Already utilized by the US military for air defense in “some of the most complex operational environments in the world,” David Goodrich, Anduril’s CEO for Asia, stated that the company believes Australia and the Indo-Pacific region could greatly benefit from a capability like the Roadrunner.
“Anduril Australia is primarily known for the cooperative development program we conduct in partnership with DTSG, ASCA, and the Royal Australian Navy for the Ghost Shark XL, a UUV capability. However, we are less recognized for our broader land and air defense capabilities that we sell to customers worldwide,” Goodrich mentioned in an interview prior to the Land Forces conference.
He described the Roadrunner as “a radically new, recoverable, cost-effective kinetic interceptor for ground-based air defense.”
Goodrich asserted that this weapon would be particularly effective against targets like the Iranian-built Shahed loitering munition used by Russia in its illegal war against Ukraine. “It’s a very cost-effective way of addressing those threats, including those posed by the Houthis,” he noted.
The Roadrunner-M on display features a high-explosive interceptor designed to eliminate a range of aerial threats, including larger aircraft.
One of its most intriguing characteristics is its capability to return to base and land at a pre-designated location for refueling and reuse after completing a reconnaissance mission or if it is not needed to destroy a target.
“This represents a radical shift in operational concept, allowing for large-scale early defensive launches without waiting for an incoming offensive weapon to be sighted. You can launch Roadrunners early; they can loiter and be prepared to engage a specific threat as it gets detected,” Goodrich explained.
In addition to the Roadrunner, Anduril is showcasing Anvil, a counter-drone system, Altius 600 and 700 drones for ISR and strike operations, the WISP (Wide-area Infrared Sensing system) for counter-drone and counter-intrusion applications, the Long Range Sentry Tower—designed to detect drones and other potential threats—and one of their new solid rocket motors, according to Goodrich.
Last June, Anduril acquired a company named Adranos, which developed a proprietary aluminum-lithium alloy fuel called ALITEC. Anduril claims that this fuel can provide up to a 40 percent increase in range compared to other solid rocket engines
