Anduril has successfully tested its hypersonic solid rocket motor (SRM) in addition to expanding its production capabilities for delivery to the US Navy STANDARD Missile Program.
The American defense company invested more than $75 million to upgrade its SRM Mississippi factory — scheduled for completion by July — and applied a single-piece flow production model combined with automation and advanced data analytics to improve output instead of processing them by batch.
This framework means one item is made at a time, moving continuously through each stage without delays, leading to faster production with improved quality while reducing costs and eliminating inefficiencies such as idle time and underutilization.
The 21-inch (53-centimeter) SRMs from the new manufacturing process were then validated in two successful live-fire tests conducted by Anduril in collaboration with the US Navy.
Anduril did not disclose the specifics of what transpired in the trials, nor did it reveal specifics regarding the dimensions, speed, or range of its hypersonic SRM.
“This successful test firing demonstrates that innovation and efficiency can go hand in hand, simultaneously expanding the industrial base and increasing agility in production,” the company’s press release stated.
This follows the US Navy awarding Anduril a $19-million contract in June 2024 to develop a high-performance SRM to be integrated into the Standard Missile-6, a multi-mission weapon used for anti-air warfare, ballistic missile defense, and anti-ship strikes.
