U.S.-based Anduril will cooperate with German Rheinmetall on the YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and the Barracuda family of missiles.
Anduril and Rheinmetall will work on joint production of European configurations of the YFQ-44A CCA and Barracuda scalable cruise missile family. Additionally, the cooperation covers rocket engines for munition applications.
YFQ-44A, alongside GA-ASI’s YFQ-42A, will be tested by the USAF’s recently activated Experimental Operations Unit. The CCAs will act as remote sensors and optionally ‘munition trucks’ for the F-47 fighter and potentially fifth-generation fighters.
More Rift with France?
Rheinmetall’s cooperation signals Anduril’s entry into the European market as a new player in the fields of CCAs and stand-off munitions. Currently, FCAS, which has Germany as a leading partner, includes a plan for a series of similar UAVs from Airbus titled Remote Carriers. With this in mind, Germany might be considering alternatives in this field.
France’s response as another prime partner in FCAS to Germany’s cooperation with Anduril remains to be seen. Previously, Germany’s choices for the European Sky Shield air defence acquisition programme being the U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot and Israeli Arrow ABM did not see a positive reaction from France which co-developed the SAMP/T long-range air defence system with Italy.
YFQ-44A
YFQ-44A is Anduril’s submission for the CCA programme as a high-speed platform capable of carrying two AIM-120 AMRAAMs externally in addition to onboard radar or jammer. The UCAV can reach a speed of Mach 0.95.
Barracuda
Barracuda is a scaled family of cruise missiles available in several sizes for different platforms.
Barracuda-100, with a 16 kg warhead and a range between 110 km to 157 km, is intended for attack helicopters and surface platforms.
Barracuda-250, with a 16 kg warhead and a range between 278 km to 350 km, is intended for fighter jets and can be carried internally by all F-35 variants.
The largest variant, Barracuda-500, with a 45 kg warhead and 926 km range, appeals to non-stealthy fighters as it is too large for internal weapon bays.
In addition to warheads, Barracuda can be fitted with other types of payloads for supportive uses.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor: Özgür Ekşi
