Anduril, Rheinmetall team up to offer autonomous aircraft and rocket motors in Europe
Anduril is taking its Barracuda and Fury autonomous air vehicles, along with solid rocket motor capabilities, into Europe through a partnership with Germany's Rheinmetall.
The agreement, announced on June 18, expands an existing relationship between the two companies, which are already working together on counter-drone offerings and on the U.S. Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program. Under the new arrangement, Rheinmetall will provide the digital platform used to integrate Anduril's autonomous air systems. The companies said the systems will be jointly developed and produced, with local suppliers and partners involved across Europe. That structure positions the deal as more than an export campaign. It ties the offering to European industrial participation at a time when governments across the region are pressing for faster rearmament, shorter supply chains and greater control over critical defense capabilities.
The centerpiece of the package is a European variant of Fury, Anduril's multi-mission Group 5 autonomous air vehicle being developed for the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Fury is intended to operate alongside advanced crewed aircraft, placing it squarely in the fast-growing market for autonomous wingmen and other collaborative combat systems. The second aircraft is Barracuda, a turbojet-powered, low-cost, expendable autonomous air vehicle designed for multiple mission sets. Anduril said Barracuda comes in four size and payload configurations, including a munitions variant, and is built with mass production in mind. That makes it relevant to European militaries seeking affordable systems that can be fielded in volume rather than in small fleets of high-end platforms.
Rheinmetall's role extends beyond manufacturing. The German company will contribute its Battlesuite digital platform, which it has presented as a central hub for connecting forces and systems. Battlesuite runs on Tactical Core, an operating system developed by Germany's blackned GmbH, and is expanded by Rheinmetall with applications that integrate its own products as well as those of strategic partners. That software layer is a critical part of the offering. It gives Anduril's autonomous systems a path into a European-controlled digital architecture, an issue that matters as armed forces place increasing weight on sovereignty, interoperability and mission-level data control.
The partnership also covers Anduril's solid rocket motor capabilities for potential use in Europe, although the companies did not identify a specific program. Including propulsion technology broadens the scope of the deal from aircraft alone to core defense-industrial capacity that could support missiles, rockets or other systems. The move underscores a wider shift in transatlantic defense cooperation. U.S. autonomy and propulsion technology are being paired with European integration, production and procurement priorities. If the model gains traction, it could help NATO members field autonomous mass faster while strengthening Europe's own manufacturing base and operational independence.