Rheinmetall, a Düsseldorf-based defense tech group, and Anduril Industries have signed a MoU to design, develop, and produce new layered Counter small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) air defense systems. The MoU was signed during the Eurosatory trade show in Paris, focusing primarily on addressing European markets.
The new C-sUAS systems will integrate Rheinmetall's Skymaster command and control system and high-power guns with Anduril’s Lattice, Sentry Tower, Wisp sensors, and Anvil autonomous interceptor. This combination leverages the strengths of both companies to offer a layered solution for C-sUAS. Rheinmetall's CEO, Oliver Dürr, stated, "This cooperation will showcase the most innovative C-sUAS system – combining the strength of Rheinmetall military capabilities and the cutting edge development speed of Anduril. I am absolutely confident that this combination will address the future needs of our clients and that we shall bring the right solution at the right time on the market."
Greg Kausner, Anduril’s SVP of Global Defence, emphasized the need for adaptable air defense systems: "The pace of warfare is accelerating at the speed of technology development. Global defence forces must face a rapidly evolving set of threats from both emerging unmanned systems and legacy manned platforms. Air defence systems require a layered approach that is flexible, adaptable and rapidly deployable. Anduril’s partnership with Rheinmetall will bring an innovative, software-defined and hardware enabled C-sUAS system to our customers to ensure they stay one step ahead of the drone threat."
Rheinmetall, with over a century of experience delivering high-power air defense systems, and Anduril, known for its low-cost autonomous weapons systems powered by AI-enabled Lattice software, aim to jointly develop a comprehensive approach. This collaboration will cover a wide sensor and effector mix, including hard kill and non-lethal effectors, gun missiles, and state-of-the-art detection sensors, significantly increasing survivability and providing new strategic and operational advantages.