The Pentagon has awarded Anduril a $250 million contract for the delivery of advanced air defense capabilities, including its new reusable Roadrunner-M (a VTOL
interceptor). Anduril is a startup defense contractor founded in 2017 that works to deliver artificial intelligence and robotics. It is developing a number of advanced drones
and counter-drone systems – and has even been
given the go-ahead to move to the next stage in developing the sixth-gen NGAD fighter’s CCA
(collaborative combat aircraft).
Anduril awarded $250 million contract for Roadrunner-M
Anduril has stated it has been awarded a $249,978,466 contract to deliver over 500 Roadrunner-Ms and additional Pulsar electronic warfare capabilities to multiple US military services. These are to help address the growing threat of drone attacks against US forces. The explosive proliferation of cheap masses of drones (especially since the Ukraine war) is one of the leading threats the DoD is moving to counter in a host of ways. Anduril’s Pulsar can be integrated with aircraft to jam enemy systems.
Photo: Anduril
“Roadrunner is a reusable, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), operator-supervised Autonomous Air Vehicle (AAV) with twin turbojet engines and modular payload configurations that can support a variety of missions.” – Anduril
According to Anduril, the deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024 and will continue until the end of 2025. This implies deliveries will commence almost immediately. According to Defense News, Anduril previously stated in December that it was already in low-rate production for an initial US customer.
Anduril is planning to quickly scale up production to build the Roadrunner in the hundreds of thousands. These are to be deployed to protect US forces in places that are at risk of drone attack.
While Anduril received $12.5 million for its Roadrunner from the Pentagon in 2022, it has largely developed the system with internal funding.

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An affordable and scaleable anti-drone solution
The Roadrunner is “a high-explosive vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) interceptor unveiled last year, and has been developed to rapidly intercept and neutralize larger UAS threats with unmatched speed, maneuverability, and cost efficiency.” It is paired with Anduril’s Pulsar family of AI-enabled EW systems and offers a new generation of defense against drones.
The Roadrunner-M is also the world’s first recoverable explosive weapon. It is an interceptor drone that can be returned if it is launched but doesn’t engage the target.
“Roadrunner-M can take off, follow, and intercept distant targets at the first hint of danger, giving operators more information and time to assess the target and rules of engagement. If there is no need to destroy the target, Roadrunner-M can simply return to base and land at a pre-designated location for immediate refueling and reuse.” – Anduril
Photo: Anduril
The Roadrunner’s development has been swift. It has been operationally deployed for Combat Evaluation since January 2024 and went from an idea to a fieldable solution in less than two years. The rapid development of drones has meant that solutions to counter them have had to be developed and fielded at scale equally fast.