Latvia has announced its intent to procure the Barracuda family of jet-powered cruise missiles from US defense contractor Anduril Industries.
President Edgars Rinkēvičs highlighted the potential missile purchase following a visit to the American company in California and a meeting with Anduril’s founder Palmer Luckey.
Officials have not disclosed the specific missile variant, quantity, cost, or delivery timeline.
The agreement comes as European NATO members accelerate efforts to field mobile, ground-launched weapons and anti-drone systems to reinforce deterrence against Russia amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Observers note that the agreement with Anduril would expand the Baltic state’s strike capabilities along NATO’s eastern flank.
Local Military Testing Support
During the visit, Latvian defense firm Origin Robotics signed a separate deal with Anduril to integrate Anduril’s Lattice command-and-control software into its BLAZE autonomous drone interceptor.
The combined platform aims to create a counter-unmanned aerial system network for military testing in the country.
The Barracuda Missile
Powered by subsonic propulsion systems, the Barracuda family includes surface- and air-launched configurations capable of carrying warheads over 100 pounds (45 kilograms).
The projectile has a range of more than 500 nautical miles (926 kilometers) and a speed of up to 500 knots (575 miles/926 kilometers per hour).