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."