Arthur McMiler
Anduril Industries has launched Bolt, its new line of vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL, drones. The Bolt base configuration for the autonomous air vehicle, or AAV, is man-portable and offers capabilities for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as search and rescue, Anduril said Thursday.
The AAV’s loitering munition kin, called Bolt-M, is designed for automated flights and firepower delivery using a tactical version of Anduril’s Lattice software platform.
Chris Brose, Anduril’s chief strategy officer, said in a media briefing that Bolt-M will be the company’s offering in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Organic Precision Fires-Light program, wherein the company is among the three selected contractors, DefenseScoop reported.
In April, Anduril secured a $6.5 million contract in the program, while the two other contractors—AeroVironment and Teledyne FLIR—were awarded $8.9 million and $12.1 million, respectively.
According to the Department of Defense, the program’s combined funding could total up to $249 million, with work completion expected by April 2026.
Bolt-M is designed to operate in over 40 minutes of flight endurance within a 20-kilometer range. Its munition payload capacity of up to 3 pounds can be used against varied targets, such as light vehicles, dismounted personnel and trenches.
In September, Anduril unveiled its Barracuda AAV family optimized for on-demand and affordable production, with varying sizes, ranges, payload capacities and warfighting mission capabilities. The company’s VTOL drone portfolio also includes Roadrunner introduced in December 2023.
