The US Department of Defense is looking for ways to combat the threat of cheap drones and long-range munitions. The maneuverable Roadrunner drone launches vertically and returns.
The Pentagon ordered the Roadrunner interceptor drone from the American UAV manufacturer Anduril for hundreds of millions of dollars. More than 500 Roadrunner-Ms, as well as Pulsar electronic warfare systems, will be delivered under the deal worth almost a quarter of a billion dollars, with deliveries starting in 2024. The War Zone writes about it.
Pulsar is a modular, networked system of radio-electronic warfare with artificial intelligence, which is installed on base stations, vehicles and aircraft. The new order is approximately two and a half times higher than the Ministry of Defense's previous spending on both systems.
The order was made as part of the Pentagon's work to prevent threats from UAVs. Mainly, they are designed to fight against cheap drones and long-range ammunition. Roadrunner launches and turns vertically, has a high degree of maneuverability thanks to turbojet engines with vector thrust.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000If one UAV is launched and at the same time it is not necessary to use it to eliminate an air threat — drones, cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft — it can be recovered and refueled for a new mission.
Depending on the configuration, the system can be used to track and engage targets on the ground. Roadrunners in Nest launchers are spread over a wide area to maximize response time and coverage area. The idea is that the Roadrunner can be launched on first warning or as a warning to immediately pursue a threat if an interception is required.
In addition to the protection of troops and facilities in forward areas, the Roadrunner can be extremely useful aboard ships that have become the main targets of UAV attacks.
Anduril's press release reports the operational deployment of the Roadrunner UAV for combat evaluation from January 2024. Meanwhile, the Pulsar has been operationally deployed in several regions since August 2023.
Similar kinetic anti-UAV systems, such as Raytheon's Coyote, and EW systems have been in operational use for many years, especially in high-threat areas in the Middle East. Under past, smaller Roadrunner and Pulsar contracts, these systems have not been deployed as widely.
Both systems may be applicable in future conflicts, particularly in the Pacific region, if the Roadrunner and Pulsar continue to prove useful. . In other words, orders for such powerful weapons can quickly grow exponentially.