New concepts of warfighting lead to new solutions, and there are a lot of firsts being shown off lately. These solutions could include the Barracuda missile.
For the first time, both a commercial and the weapon itself are being featured. Anduril Industries has introduced the Barracuda-M family of cruise missiles through an anime-style video. As usual, Anduril does things differently.
In the video, set to a remix of the 1977 Heart classic “Barracuda,” the production process at Anduril is showcased.
The video begins with a headline about America’s need for more missiles to deter China, prompting the factory to mass produce the Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250, and Barracuda-500.
The video concludes with a stylized Barracuda graphic, showing a lone Barracuda-250 followed by a swarm of 250s.
In reality, the Barracuda variants have garnered significant attention.
Introduced in early September, Anduril emphasizes their simplicity and affordability, claiming these missiles are the most producible on the market. They reportedly take 50% less time to manufacture, require 95% fewer tools, and consist of 50% fewer parts, all at a reduced cost. Notably, a Barracuda can be assembled with 10 or fewer tools.
The Barracuda variants are as follows:
- The Barracuda-100 is designed for quick, short missions, and is lightweight and launchable from both ground and air.
- The Barracuda-250 offers a balance of range, speed, and payload capacity, and can fit in the weapons bay of fighter jets.
- The Barracuda-500, the largest variant, has a range of nearly 600 miles, can carry over 100 pounds of payload, withstands 5 Gs of maneuverability, and provides more than 120 minutes of loitering time.
Although there is no official government buyer yet, Anduril is planning to build a new factory to produce weapons and military systems more quickly and in larger quantities.
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