Anduril Industries Inc., Irvine, California, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H92402-22-D-0001) with a maximum ceiling of $967,599,957 for a counter-unmanned systems, systems integration partner (SIP). Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,096,092 were obligated at time of the award. The work will be performed in various locations within and outside the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 19, 2032. This contract was competitively awarded under the authority of 10 U.S. Code § 2371b(a)(2)(B) for a follow-on production contract. Twelve proposals were received in response to the SIP prototype project opportunity notice. U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.
Anduril developed the Anvil, a counter drone quadcopter designed for short, fast flights up to 100 mph. The best way to respond to the threat of a drone illegally entering unauthorized airspace, especially military bases, is to physically smash into and disable it. The Anvil is equipped with sensors to identify, track, and intercept targets. Equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, that are effective both in daylight and at nighttime, rotors on the bottom, and strategically-placed flight-critical parts, the Anvil takes out hostile drones from below. An operator can authorize an attack through a handheld remote while viewing a live feed. One main issue is the damage sustained to the Anvil as a result of a high-speed impact. Anduril is already working on larger, faster versions of the Anvil that will target a small aircraft, helicopters, and even cruise missiles.
Cued by Lattice, Anvil navigates autonomously to intercept potential drone threats and provide visual feedback for positive identification by a human operator. Lattice is an AI backbone that uses computer vision, machine learning and mesh networking to fuse real-time data into a single, autonomous operating picture. Each Anduril product houses a Lattice AI Core that performs sensor fusion, target classification and multi-track reconciliation at the edge. Lattice also integrates third-party data to further expand context for decision-making. Everything communicates through a resilient network to create real-time situational awareness so human operators can respond instantly and accurately with the best information possible. Once connected, Anvil uses physical speed and onboard terminal guidance to deliver kinetic energy to the threat with minimal collateral damage.
