{"id":27866886,"date":"2026-10-13T10:05:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/anduril-steelfin-interceptor-pac-3-thaad-roadrunner-faa-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T10:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:05:54","slug":"anduril-steelfin-interceptor-pac-3-thaad-roadrunner-faa-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/anduril-steelfin-interceptor-pac-3-thaad-roadrunner-faa-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Anduril Steelfin: A Cheaper Missile Interceptor to Rival PAC-3"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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On Monday it announced a whole family of them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Steelfin, unveiled on 12 October as the US Army's AUSA conference opened in Washington, is a two-stage interceptor designed to shoot down cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. Anduril's sales pitch goes straight at the most expensive part of modern air defence: it says one version could do the whole job of the THAAD missile \"at a fraction of the cost,\" and another could do most of a PAC-3's job for under half the price.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>On the same day FlightGlobal reported that Anduril has asked the US Federal Aviation Administration for permission to fly its Roadrunner, a reusable jet-powered interceptor, for development tests. One announcement is about volume, the other about speed of testing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:26px 0\">\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts: Anduril Steelfin<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Unveiled:<\/strong> 12 October 2026, Washington (AUSA)<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Layout:<\/strong> Two stages: a booster plus a common terminal interceptor<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Boosters studied:<\/strong> 10-inch, 18-inch and 21-inch diameters<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Kill options:<\/strong> Hit-to-kill and blast-fragmentation versions<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Targets:<\/strong> Cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, plus drones<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Launchers:<\/strong> M903 Patriot launcher, Mk 41 VLS, Typhon, containerized launchers<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Production goal:<\/strong> Several thousand a year in the near term<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Flight tests:<\/strong> Planned for 2027<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">One Missile, Many Sizes<\/h2>\r\n<p>Steelfin is less a single missile than a kit of parts. Every version pairs a first-stage booster with the same second-stage terminal interceptor, which shares its airframe, avionics, software and flight-control system across the family. Change the booster and you change the range. Change the seeker or warhead in the second stage and you change the target set.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anduril told The War Zone the company is \"looking at integrating on 10-inch, 18-inch, and 21-inch boosters,\" and is studying dual- and quad-pack arrangements for the US Navy's Mk 41 vertical launch system. Anduril plans both hit-to-kill and blast-fragmentation versions, and says Steelfin is designed to plug into existing launchers, including the M903 used for Patriot, the Mk 41, the Army's Typhon and new containerized launchers, as well as the AEGIS and IBCS fire-control systems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anduril says it has completed ballistic testing with representative air vehicles. Flight tests of Steelfin variants are planned for 2027. There are no announced orders, and Anduril has not published prices or detailed performance figures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;100 percent of the THAAD mission at a fraction of the cost.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Steve Milano<\/strong> &mdash; Anduril, speaking to The War Zone, 12 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Price Problem It Is Aimed At<\/h2>\r\n<p>Air defence has a cost problem, and the Iran war made it impossible to ignore. Interceptors are expensive, hard to build quickly and get used up fast. The War Zone puts a THAAD interceptor at roughly $15.5 million, a PAC-3 MSE at about $5.3 million and an SM-2 Block IIIC at around $2.5 million. Afterburner reported last week that Boeing has to triple output of the PAC-3's seeker to keep up with demand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anduril's claims, as relayed by The War Zone, are bold. A top-end Steelfin would sit between the PAC-3 MSE and THAAD. A PAC-3-class version would do about 80 percent of that missile's mission for under half the cost. Against Shahed-type drones, a Steelfin would provide more than 80 percent of an SM-2's capability for about a third of the price. None of that has been demonstrated in flight yet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The production pitch matters as much as the price. Anduril says it is aiming for several thousand Steelfins a year in the near term, built on shared production lines with the mission-specific parts added at final assembly. Its solid rocket motors already power Boeing's entry in the Army's IFPC Increment 2 second interceptor competition, which moved to its next phase in September.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/anduril-roadrunner-idex-2025.jpg\" alt=\"Anduril Roadrunner on display at IDEX 2025\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Anduril's Roadrunner, a twin-turbojet interceptor that can land and be reused, on display at IDEX 2025. Photo: Mztourist \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Roadrunner Wants Civil Airspace<\/h2>\r\n<p>Anduril's other counter-air product is already flying. Roadrunner is a jet-powered uncrewed aircraft with two turbojets that takes off vertically, can act as a drone interceptor or a reconnaissance platform, and can land again to be reused if it does not need to detonate. Anduril unveiled it in December 2023.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>According to FlightGlobal, Anduril has now asked the FAA for approval to carry out developmental test flights of Roadrunner, a move intended to expand and speed up testing beyond military ranges. FlightGlobal did not report whether the FAA has responded. It follows a similar Anduril request for its CP-200 remotely piloted aircraft in September.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For a company whose argument is that defence hardware can be developed faster and built in larger numbers, test-range access is a bottleneck. Steelfin's first flights are still a year away. Roadrunner's paperwork is about getting the hardware that already exists into the air more often.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/al9ITeP4fUA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:6px 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Anduril's official video unveiling Roadrunner and Roadrunner-M in 2023.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: The War Zone; AeroTime; Breaking Defense; FlightGlobal; Anduril Industries.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is Anduril Steelfin?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Steelfin is a family of two-stage surface-to-air interceptor missiles unveiled by Anduril on 12 October 2026. Each version combines a booster with a common terminal interceptor and is designed to counter cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Flight tests are planned for 2027.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How much cheaper is Steelfin than a PAC-3 missile?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Anduril has not published Steelfin prices. According to The War Zone, Anduril claims a PAC-3-class Steelfin could do about 80 percent of the PAC-3 mission for under half the cost. The War Zone puts a PAC-3 MSE at about $5.3 million.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which launchers can fire Steelfin?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Anduril says Steelfin is designed for existing launchers, including the M903 launcher used by Patriot, the US Navy's Mk 41 vertical launch system, the Army's Typhon and new containerized launchers. It is meant to work with the AEGIS and IBCS fire-control systems.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Has Steelfin been tested?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Anduril says it has completed ballistic testing of Steelfin with representative air vehicles. Flight tests of Steelfin variants are planned for 2027. No orders or production contracts had been announced as of October 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is Anduril Roadrunner?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Roadrunner is a twin-turbojet uncrewed aircraft from Anduril that launches vertically and can serve as a drone interceptor or reconnaissance platform. If it does not need to detonate, it can land and be reused. Anduril unveiled it in December 2023.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why does Anduril want FAA approval for Roadrunner?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">According to FlightGlobal, Anduril has asked the US Federal Aviation Administration for approval to carry out developmental test flights of Roadrunner, so it can expand and accelerate flight testing beyond military test ranges.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is Anduril Steelfin?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Steelfin is a family of two-stage surface-to-air interceptor missiles unveiled by Anduril on 12 October 2026. Each version combines a booster with a common terminal interceptor and is designed to counter cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles. 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On Monday it announced a whole family of them. Steelfin, unveiled on 12 October as the US Army&#8217;s AUSA conference opened in Washington, is a two-stage interceptor designed to shoot down cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. Anduril&#8217;s sales pitch goes straight at the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":27866804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27866886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Anduril Steelfin: Cheaper Interceptor to Rival PAC-3 | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Anduril&#039;s Steelfin is a two-stage interceptor family for cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, pitched at a fraction of PAC-3 and THAAD prices.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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