American Anduril has carried out a genuinely useful adaptation of its Barracuda-500 cruise missile for ground launch. Until now it was positioned only as an air-launched missile, which, of course, is not a problem for the United States, but may be less attractive for other potential operators.
According to the company, the conversion of the Barracuda-500 missile, which has a range of 900 km and carries a 50 kg warhead, to a ground-launched configuration was minimal, and the booster solution is modular. This is a simple kit that can be adapted to different solid-fuel motors from various suppliers, which should prevent the formation of a narrow supply bottleneck.
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Overall, this fully corresponds to the company's concept, which declares that Barracuda cruise missiles can be assembled with a screwdriver. As for the launcher itself, Anduril does not tie itself to a specific one and declares the possibility of mounting a transport-launch container on already existing systems, for example the HIMARS, Patriot SAM system, and Harpoon launchers. But Anduril plans to create its own launchers in the dimensions of a standard shipping container.
In the published video, several details of the booster and the missile itself can be seen. In particular, on the Barracuda-500 cruise missile there appears to be a radio-transparent area on the underside of the fuselage, which may indicate the use of the TERCOM-type navigation system that compares terrain profiles with a reference. This would make the missile effectively independent of satellite navigation systems.
At the same time, it should be taken into account that the flight range of the Barracuda-500 missile after ground launch may be less than from an aircraft. For air launch, the company declares 900 km, while during ground launch the range may decrease to 600-700 km. The possibility of mass launches from ground platforms can, however, compensate for its small 50 kg warhead.
It should also be noted that Anduril has already declared the capability to produce several thousand Barracuda-500 missiles per year. This parameter is expected to be achieved by the end of 2026. Additionally, Anduril is already strongly hinting that their development will be useful not only for the United States but also for allies. Ground launch is, moreover, more relevant for the European theater of operations.
Anduril's decision with the Barracuda-500 missile may be of interest to the Armed Forces of Ukraine not only in terms of the possibility of purchasing or receiving these missiles, but also for assessing the feasibility of initiating similar work for the ERAM cruise missiles, which are being ordered for Ukraine for $825 million. These are conceptually similar miniature cruise missiles from Zone 5 Technologies and CoAspire, which are designed for use from aircraft. At the same time, the possibility of their ground launch could be a very useful option.
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