# Anduril Altius [[Anduril]]'s family of tube-launched loitering munitions — "kamikaze drones" that can fly to a target area, loiter for extended periods conducting surveillance, and then dive onto a target with precision. The Altius family is Anduril's most internationally deployed offensive weapon system, sold to Taiwan and Ukraine, and the system that experienced its most significant public failure. ## What It Does Altius is a family of autonomous loitering munitions designed to unify reconnaissance and strike in a single expendable airframe. Available in multiple variants: **Altius-600M:** Smaller variant. Range up to 440km (273 miles), top speed 185km/h (115mph), service ceiling 15,000 feet. Tube-launched from ground, air, and sea-based platforms. **Altius-700M:** Larger variant with heavier warhead capacity (up to 15kg). Same launch versatility — ground, air, and sea. Both variants integrate with [[Anduril Lattice]] for autonomous target identification and strike coordination. The system is designed for scenarios where an operator authorizes a strike zone, and the munition autonomously identifies, tracks, and engages targets within that zone. ## Who Uses It ### Taiwan The most significant international deployment, in two rounds. **Round one — the 2024 FMS case (291 units, complete).** The U.S. cleared a Foreign Military Sale of 291 Altius-600M units and related equipment in June 2024. Deliveries began August 2025 and were completed March 2026. Beijing responded by sanctioning both Anduril and [[Palmer Luckey]] personally. **Round two — the August 2026 direct contract (2,032 units, ~US$847M).** On August 27, 2026 Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense posted a contract worth **NT$26.9 billion (~US$847 million)** for **1,554 Altius-700M** loitering munitions and **478 Altius-600ISR** reconnaissance drones plus launch equipment — roughly seven times the 2024 quantity, and Anduril's largest export order on record. First deliveries Q4 2026, completion June 2033. See [[Taiwan Anduril Altius Drone Contract]]. Note what round two selects: the bulk of the order is the **700M**, the heavier strike variant of the family whose 600M model failed against Russian electronic warfare in Ukraine (below). Taiwan's procurement notice lists electronic-warfare missions among the intended uses. **Q4 2026 first deliveries are the first test of whether that vulnerability has been engineered out.** Both rounds sit inside the broader "Hellscape" strategy to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan by pre-positioning thousands of autonomous munitions in the Taiwan Strait. ### Ukraine (via UK International Fund) The UK Ministry of Defence contracted Anduril for nearly £30M (~$39M) in Altius-600M and -700M loitering munitions for Ukraine, funded by the International Fund for Ukraine (£1.3B+ pledged from 10 countries). Announced March 2025. **However:** Earlier deployments to Ukraine via Ukrainian SBU forces failed catastrophically. In 2024, Ukrainian forces suspended Altius operations entirely after the drones repeatedly crashed and failed to hit targets. The primary cause: vulnerability to Russian electronic warfare measures. The drones lost communications links and could not complete strike missions. This is Anduril's most significant public combat failure. ### U.S. Military U.S. Army multi-year contract (value undisclosed) for tactical drone modernization. SOCOM has been a recurring customer for earlier Altius variants. ## Contract Value - **Taiwan direct contract (Aug 27, 2026): NT$26.9B (~US$847M)** — 1,554 Altius-700M + 478 Altius-600ISR; deliveries Q4 2026 → June 2033. See [[Taiwan Anduril Altius Drone Contract]] - Taiwan FMS (June 2024): undisclosed (291 units, delivered) - UK-Ukraine: £30M (~$39M) - U.S. Army: Multi-year, value undisclosed - **Family total: ~$900M+ disclosed**, dominated by the 2026 Taiwan contract (the "$200M+" estimate carried here through early 2026 predates it) ## Controversies 1. **Ukraine combat failure (2024):** The SBU's suspension of Altius operations due to Russian EW vulnerability is a critical data point. Anduril's valuation assumes its autonomous systems work in contested environments — and the first major test showed they didn't. The newer UK-funded batch (2025) may incorporate EW hardening, but the failure raises legitimate questions about readiness. **The stakes rose sharply in August 2026**, when Taiwan committed ~$847M largely to the 700M variant of the same family — the largest bet anyone has placed on that vulnerability having been fixed, and one that will not be settled publicly until deliveries begin in Q4 2026. 2. **Chinese sanctions:** Beijing sanctioned Anduril and Luckey over the Taiwan deals, making this a direct flashpoint in US-China competition. 3. **Autonomous strike ethics:** As a loitering munition, Altius operates with significant autonomy in target selection within human-authorized parameters. It represents the category of weapon at the center of the [[Autonomous Weapons Debate]]. 4. **Hellscape strategy:** The Taiwan sales are part of a broader U.S. plan to flood the Taiwan Strait with autonomous munitions in a conflict scenario — a strategy that could dramatically escalate any confrontation with China. ## See Also - [[Taiwan Anduril Altius Drone Contract]] — the August 2026 ~$847M order - [[Anduril Product Ecosystem]] — Master reference - [[Anduril]] — Company record - [[Anduril Lattice]] — Software platform - [[Anduril Bolt-M]] — Smaller man-portable counterpart - [[Anduril Barracuda]] — Larger cruise missile counterpart - [[Autonomous Weapons Debate]] - [[Palmer Luckey]]