Anduril announces Roadrunner, jet-powered VTOL drone

So the emergency services use-cases seem obvious and straightforward, but rare. Can't be that big of a market for that, at least for repeat customers. Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd figure that those emergency services organizations would buy 2-3 and keep one in the field and the balance in inventory.

The armed HE variant, that one does not seem that straightforward to me because I don't quite see how this is better than a small missile. Is the benefit loitering? Because a larger drone can carry several armed payloads, and loiter for much longer. Is the benefit detection? Maybe that's it, given its size. Is the benefit autonomous deployment? That probably is pretty useful. Very curious who the government customer is (JSOC?).

Anyway, very cool and slick looking engineering.

Edit: Luckey with some additional comments[1]. "[I]ncreases the operator’s engagement decision space" is I think maybe the key thing here, now that I think about it. The battlefield today is saturated with sensors, so giving the operator just an extra bit of time to understand the data probably is a key innovation for drone warfare.

>Roadrunner-M's performance capacity is far superior than competing air defense solutions and is already an overmatch capability against current and emerging threats. Its employment methodology significantly increases the operator’s engagement decision space which is critically constrained with current capabilities.

>Roadrunner-M innovations include faster launch and take-off timing, three times the warhead payload capacity, ten times the one way effective range, and is three times more maneuverable in G force, compared to similar offerings on the market. A single operator can launch and supervise multiple Roadrunner or Roadrunner-M squadrons.

>Roadrunner-M can be controlled by Lattice, Anduril’s AI-powered software suite for command and control, or be fully integrated into existing air defense radars, sensors, and architectures to provide immediately deployable capability."

[1] https://x.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1730466711412052138

It’s a better small missile, not better than a small missile.

The fact that it can land if it doesn't explode seems like a big deal. Launch a bunch at a target, first one gets blown up, rest return to base for later use.

make several at less cost because no return hardware, reduced weight or increased range, make it up in volume. Also this can break on re-use, less chance to be faulty with a factory checked item in a box

It could loiter on the ground, relaunch and hit a target that never saw it coming because it wasn't airborne except for the last little bit.

Good point. In addition to that, it could loiter mobile on the ground. Put a Nest in the back of a JLTV.

Can it self-relaunch though? I wonder because it jettisons a lot of junk coming out of its box, VTOL landing is going to be expensive in fuel costs and it deploys some landing gear which would need to be retractable.

It’s also subsonic, loud and quite large so isn’t going to be particularly stealthy.

My bet would be something more akin to a small missile you can launch speculatively with more range and capability than you see with modified drones in Ukraine that can be landed in your lines and repacked if not actually used.

> The armed HE variant, that one does not seem that straightforward to me because I don't quite see how this is better than a small missile. Is the benefit loitering? Because a larger drone can carry several armed payloads, and loiter for much longer. Is the benefit detection? Maybe that's it, given its size. Is the benefit autonomous deployment? That probably is pretty useful. Very curious who the government customer is (JSOC?).

I think the value compounding can come when these are used as a swarm or as part of multi strategy defense / offense system.

I think the armed variants advantage is that you can launch 5 and call the rest back once you get a hit on the target.

Shooting down modern/future hypersonic or stealth missiles is hard and there is no guarantee you will take it down with just one. So this way you can recover the rest once you get a hit.

I think this is probably targeted at taking out Shahed style drones at low cost.

Next people will suggest making them man portable and light enough to be regularly carried in large numbers by infantry. :)

At low cost :D :D :D

Production cost is just one cost. Often the logistics of bringing a lot of stuff to the point of contact is much more challenging. Then it can be a very useful if you don't have to "waste" all ordnance if it misses.

It looks to be launched from the 'nest' by spring/air using the sabot because it leaves so quickly. No way a jet could accelerate it that quickly on its own.

That doesn't mean it's incapable of taking off on its own vertically though.

For a single engagement your logic is sound. But for a prolonged war logistics is extremely challenging. Wars have been won and lost based on who is better at bringing fuel, supplies and ammunition to the battlefield.

If you can reduce volume and weight of missile shipments with these things that might be incredibly valuable, even if it's more expensive overall

as for air defence it's a new paradigm in that you just launch ALL the air defence. Once the threat is eliminated you get them back. if you launch all of a patriot it's a decent reload time.

It changes the cost/benefit of firing to save a target Vs saving for a more valued save later. quite a big deal with cheaper swam strategies planned.

you still have to reload these but landing repack + fuel is pretty easy.

It’s not going to intercept a hypersonic missile, and I doubt it can reliably intercept a supersonic missile. Subsonic stealthy targets it should have a chance against, since its seeker is EO/IR based, not radar.

I think the primary use for the armed variant will be anti-drone, with decent capability against subsonic manned platforms. That said, it would probably also work well against unarmored ground targets…

Ok lower cost.

Although then you need something something both fast, and refuelable, and recoverable. So... bigger, heavier, etc. And recovered and refuled in combat. Not necessarily impossible but much more complicated.