Huntsville-based defense technology company Anduril Industries has been selected by the Department of War as one of three companies to help develop and qualify a new generation of affordable, air-launched cruise missiles under a program aimed at rapidly expanding U.S. weapons production.
The announcement, made Tuesday, names Anduril, CoAspire and Zone 5 as framework agreement recipients for the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM) program. The initiative is designed to accelerate testing and qualification of low-cost cruise missiles that military leaders say will strengthen the nation’s “Arsenal of Freedom.”
“The Arsenal of Freedom of the 21st Century requires doing business differently,” Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey said in announcing the agreements. “Today’s announcement showcases the Acquisition Transformation Strategy in action, expanding the defense industrial base, fielding capabilities faster, and attracting private investment to fund innovation and increase manufacturing output.”
The agreements establish a pathway toward potential seven-year production contracts, pending successful testing, congressional funding and required authorizations. The Department of War said the long-term procurement model is intended to provide industry with stable demand signals while encouraging companies to increase manufacturing capacity.
For Huntsville, the selection further solidifies Anduril’s growing presence in the Rocket City, where the company has established its primary engineering hub for Rocket Motor Systems.
The company operates engineering offices in Cummings Research Park and Bridge Street, where teams design next-generation solid rocket motors, tactical missile systems and air and missile defense technologies. Huntsville engineers also support development of propulsion systems for the Navy’s Standard Missile-6 and Anduril’s Barracuda cruise missile family.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood serves as Anduril’s senior vice president and Huntsville site executive, while Jim Myers leads the company’s Missile Defense Sector.
Engineering work performed in Huntsville is paired with manufacturing and live-fire testing at Anduril’s Mississippi Solid Rocket Complex in McHenry, Miss., where new propulsion systems move from design into production.
The FAMM program calls for both traditional lugged missiles and palletized variants that can be rapidly deployed using multiple aircraft platforms. The Department said all qualified vendors will receive minimum production quantities, with companies meeting or exceeding manufacturing goals becoming eligible for additional orders.
Unlike traditional defense acquisition programs that often take years to field new capabilities, FAMM is intended to move quickly by emphasizing commercial innovation, rapid testing and competitive production.
The program builds on the Department of War’s recently announced Low-Cost Containerized Missiles initiative, the ground-launched counterpart to the air-launched FAMM program. Together, officials said the efforts are intended to rapidly expand the nation’s inventory of affordable precision weapons while strengthening the defense industrial base.
Founded in 2017 by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, Anduril has rapidly emerged as one of the nation’s fastest-growing defense technology companies, developing autonomous weapons systems, artificial intelligence-powered command-and-control software and advanced missile technologies for the U.S. military and allied nations. Its Huntsville operation continues to play a central role in the company’s missile propulsion and weapons development efforts.
Got a tip for OTR? Send your tip to [email protected] with related photo/video, your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
