WASHINGTON — Anduril Industries unveiled its new “Steelfin” family of two-stage surface-to-air interceptor missiles on October 12, 2026, during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting. Designed to counter cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missile threats, Steelfin provides a low-cost, mass-producible alternative to legacy interceptor platforms like the MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 MSE.
The system uses a modular two-stage architecture that integrates a mission-configurable solid rocket booster with a common “terminal interceptor” upper stage. By standardizing airframes, flight controls, avionics, and software across all variants, Anduril aims to manufacture several thousand rounds annually on a single unified assembly line at approximately one-third the cost of current baseline interceptors. Initial ballistic testing using representative air vehicles has been completed, with live flight-test campaigns scheduled for 2027.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: ANDURIL STEELFIN INTERCEPTOR FAMILY 
* Prime Developer & Systems Integrator: Anduril Industries (Costa Mesa, CA)
* Program Target: Modular family targeting multi-tier air defense (point defense, lower-tier IAMD, and upper-tier ballistic missile defense)
* Unit Cost & Target Capacity: Engineered for ~1/3 the cost of PAC-3 MSE rounds; initial short-term production target of several thousand units/year
* Testing Roadmap: Ballistic airframe testing complete; full flight-test trials scheduled to begin in 2027
* Modular Architecture Breakdown:
* Stage 1 (Booster Stage): Swappable solid rocket motor boosters tailored to specific range, acceleration, velocity, and launcher cell packing requirements
* Stage 2 (Terminal Interceptor): Common baseline airframe, flight control actuation, digital avionics, and flight software
* Open Interface Suite: Modular payload bay accommodating swappable COTS/proprietary optical, infrared, or active radar seekers without total airframe redesigns
* Launcher Compatibility & Network Integration:
* Ground Launchers: M903A2 Patriot Launchers, Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) land-based launchers, and mobile containerized launchers
* Naval Launchers: Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells
* Command & Control (C2): Direct integration with U.S. Army Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) and U.S. Navy Aegis Combat System architectures
