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Dynetics IFPC launcher.
Anduril and Boeing are coming together to jointly offer a new interceptor for the U.S. Army, combining the new entrant’s solid rocket motor development with the legacy prime’s established interceptor experience.
The companies announced the teaming agreement Dec. 18 for the Army’s Integrated Fires Protection Capability Increment 2 Second Interceptor competition. The Army’s IFPC currently uses the AIM-9 Sidewinder to intercept threats such as cruise missiles, and the service has said it wants capability akin to an AIM-120 in the AIM-9 form factor.
The Army expects to select companies to build prototypes for the competition in 2026.
Anduril in an announcement says it is providing the rocket motor for the medium-range interceptor, but did not provide additional details. The company is working on new technologies for short-range missiles (SRM), including a recent test of a highly loaded grain propellant and an aluminum-lithium alloy-coated propellant known as ALITEC. The latter was developed by Adranos, which Anduril acquired in 2023.
Boeing received an other transaction authority project agreement to develop the new midrange interceptor on Dec. 5. Jim Leary, Boeing’s executive director for business development for space, intelligence and weapon systems, told Aviation Week in October it was progressing on a wholly new missile for the competition.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to forming innovative, disruptive and agile industry teams that deliver new capabilities to warfighters sooner,” Bob Ciesla, vice president of Boeing Precision Engagement Systems, said in an announcement. “We’re confident that this partnership will result in a novel solution that helps meet the Army’s evolving air defense needs.”
Other competitors for the program include Lockheed Martin and Rafael.
“Boeing and Anduril are partnering to deliver a critical, scalable rocket motor systems capability for the U.S. Army,” Burhan Muzaffar, senior vice president at Anduril Industries, said in the announcement. “This partnership is a major step forward in strengthening the industrial base and ensuring our warfighters receive the reliable, modern capabilities they need.”
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