Altius Loitering Munition

The Altius (Area-I Air-Launched, Tube-Integrated, Unmanned System) is a versatile family of drones designed for deployment by air, ground, or maritime forces. These modular drones can be configured for a range of missions including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting (ISR&T), communications relay, cyber warfare, or kinetic strikes.

The baseline Altius 600 drone weighs up to 27 pounds, has a maximum range of 276 miles (around 440 kilometers), and can stay airborne for at least four hours.

The Altius 600M and 700M variants are specialized loitering munitions, utilizing a common software baseline and open system architecture to integrate various payloads and mission software suites. This flexibility, combined with advanced autonomy and a simplified user interface, enables a single operator to control multiple Altius units, each performing unique tasks based on their payloads.

The Altius is driven by a two-blade propeller mounted at the rear of the drone in a pusher configuration.

Altius drones can be launched from a variety of platforms and vehicles including the MRZR all-terrain vehicle, JLTV, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, AC-130J gunship, and the Kratos Valkyrie XQ-58, making them a highly adaptable asset for diverse operational needs.

In service.

In March 2020, the U.S. Army launched the Altius-600 from a Black Hawk helicopter at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

The Altius-600 was test-launched from the US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle in June 2020. The test demonstrated the drone’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and its ability to locate the enemy and relay information.

On Jan. 15, 2021, the Altius-600 completed its first flight into Hurricane Ian's eye, collecting critical atmospheric data. Launched from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane, it flew for nearly two hours through severe conditions, recording maximum wind speeds of over 187 knots. This mission, in partnership with NOAA, marked a significant technological achievement by enabling safe, low-altitude data collection that enhances hurricane forecasting.

On March 26, 2021, the U.S. Air Force successfully tested the XQ-58 Valkyrie drone by releasing another drone, the Altius-600, from its internal bay for the first time at Yuma Proving Ground. This test demonstrated the drone's ability to deploy small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) like the Altius-600 using a launch tube system similar to the Common Launch Tube (CLT). The Altius-600 flew independently after launch

Anduril unveiled the Altius-700 on Sept. 2, 2021.

The War Zone reported on May 24, 2022, that the U.S. Army conducted a significant test involving 28 drones deployed in four waves of seven, marking the largest networked sortie of Air-Launched Effects (ALE) unmanned aerial vehicles. Controlled by a single operator acting as a surrogate for the Future Attack Recon Aircraft (FARA), the Altius-600 drones engaged in simulated air assault missions at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, as part of EDGE 22.

In December 2022, Anduril Industries and Leonardo UK engineers successfully tested new Air Launched Effects (ALE) technologies at Predannack Airfield, Cornwall. Using Anduril's Altius-600 and Crewed-UnCrewed Teaming (CUC-T) control software, the trials focused on drone-to-aircraft coordination, flight maneuvers, waypoints, loiter positions, and overall command and control.

Anduril conducted the first end-to-end live fire test for Alitus-700M in September 2023. The loitering munition was tested with a live warhead at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah.

On Dec. 3, 2023, that U.S. Special Operations Command conducted the first launch of the Altius-700. The Altius-700 was launched from a Black Hawk.

In December 2023, the U.S. Air Force's 27th Special Operations Wing demonstrated new capabilities for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) as part of the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E) development by AFSOC. They successfully controlled three MQ-9A Reapers simultaneously using a single crew through the ARCS interface. Additionally, they tested the MQ-9's ability to release Altius-600s from a specialized launch pod.

On June 18, 2024, the U.S. Dept. of State approved a possible foreign military sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States for up to 291 Altius-600M-V systems and related equipment. The contract was valued at US$300 million. This was the first mention of the 600M-V variant.

Anduril, Costa Mesa, Calif., USA

 USA
   Army            [N/A]

 Taiwan            (291 pending)

 WEIGHTS
   Altius-600             27 lbs (12.2 kg)
   Altius-700             65 lbs (29.4 kg)
   Altius-700M
      payload             33 lbs (14.9 kg)

 PERFORMANCE
   Altius-600
      endurance           4+ hours
      range               276 mi (444 km)
   Altius-700
      endurance           2+ hours
   Altius-700M
      endurance           1.5+ hours
      range               100 mi (160 km)

Altius-600

The baseline Altius-600 drone, from which the loitering munition M version is derived, can weigh up to 27 pounds (12.2 kg). It has a maximum range of 276 miles (440 km) and can stay aloft for at least four hours.

Altis-600M

This variant is designed to accommodate multiple seeker and warhead options while doubling the loitering time and range of current market offerings. The Altius-600M is a larger and far longer-ranged design with swarming capabilities, though its exact specifications are unclear.

Altius-700

The Altius-700 carries 300 percent more payload than the -600 and endures up to five hours of flight, depending on payloads, which are customizable and include ISR, cUAS, electronic warfare, munitions and signals intelligence.

Altius-700M

Designed for advanced and heavier payloads, Altius-700M is capable of carrying warheads as heavy as 33 lbs (15 kg). The 700M delivers highly-precise, devastating strikes on large and armored targets, including tanks, vehicles, vessels, and infrastructure.

The loitering munition has a range of 100 miles (160 km) and 75 minutes of flight time.