US Awards Contracts for Mass Production of Low-Cost 'Barracuda' Cruise Missiles; Poland and Taiwan to Co-Produce

The United States is accelerating its development of low-cost, long-range strike weapons, with defense contractor Anduril securing significant contracts from both the Army and Air Force. These agreements will lead to the mass production of thousands of "Barracuda-500M" low-cost cruise missiles within three years. The missiles will be available in multiple configurations, including ground-launched, air-launched from fighter jets, and air-dropped from transport aircraft.

Anduril's "Barracuda" series was designed for rapid mass production from the outset. The company claims its production speed is an order of magnitude faster than traditional cruise missiles like the JASSM and Tomahawk. This efficiency is achieved through a modular architecture, open electronic systems, and the extensive use of commercial off-the-shelf components, which also reduce costs and supply chain bottlenecks. Approximately 90% of the components are shared across the three configurations of the "Barracuda-500M," and it can integrate four different jet engines for enhanced supply flexibility.

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Barracuda series was designed for rapid mass production from the outset.

The U.S. Army contract, awarded in May, calls for 3,000 ground-launched missiles and 20-foot containerized launch systems, with deliveries starting next year. The Air Force contract, secured on July 15, will fund the development of two air-launched variants: the FAMM-L for fighter jet weapon pylons and the FAMM-P for air-dropping from transport aircraft pallets. The U.S. military plans to procure up to 8,000 such missiles annually from various manufacturers to build a large-scale precision strike capability.

Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) signed a memorandum of understanding with Anduril last September to establish a production line, aiming to build capacity within 18 months and keep unit costs below NT$6.5 million (approximately $200,000 USD). Poland's Armaments Group (PGZ) and the 2nd Air Force Logistics Base also announced a collaboration with Anduril to assemble and co-produce the "Barracuda-500M" in Poland, intended to supply both Poland and regional allies like Estonia and Latvia. While Poland has not officially procured the missile yet, it is expected to serve as a low-cost complement to existing JASSM cruise missiles on F-16C/D and F-35A aircraft.

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We are confident in establishing production capacity within 18 months and keeping the unit price below NT$6.5 million.