Anduril AGM-189 Barracuda-500
In 2024, the USAF and the DIU (Defense Innovation Unit) initiated the ETV (Enterprise Test Vehicle) program. The objective was the development of test vehicles for low-cost missiles/UAVs, using COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) components wherever possible, and a modular architecture for easy subsystem test and evaluation. Another important design criterion for ETV was the suitability for cost-effective high-rate mass production. In the beginning, ETV was not primarily defined as an actual weapons development program. In April, contracts were awarded to four companies (Anduril Industries, Integrated Solutions for Systems, Leidos Dynetics, Zone 5 Technologies) to build and flight-test an ETV design until the end of the year.
Anduril's entry for ETV is the Barracuda-500 AAV (Autonomous Air Vehicle). The Barracuda family was unveiled by the company in September 2024, and consists of three different designs, in increasing size: Barracuda-100, Barracuda-250 and Barracuda-500. The cruise missile variants, with an explosive warhead, are known as Barracuda-M (-100M, -250M, -500M). The suffix numbers may indicate the weight class of the vehicles in pounds.
 |
| Image: Anduril |
| Barracuda Family (top: -100, left: -250, right: -500) |
All Barracuda versions are powered by a single small turbojet, for a top speed of around 930 km/h (500 kts). The -100 and -250 are designed both for air-drop and ground-launch, while the -500 was initially developed for airborne applications only. The latter includes "palletized" launch from the cargo hold of a transport aircraft, like a C-130 or C-17. The following table lists the payload and range specification of Barracuda, as claimed by Anduril:
| Barracuda-100 | Barracuda-250 | Barracuda-500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | air: > 160 km (85 nm) ground: > 110 km (60 nm) |
air: > 370 km (200 nm) ground: > 280 km (150 nm) |
air: > 930 km (500 nm) |
| Payload weight | 16 kg (35 lb) | 16 kg (35 lb) | > 45 kg (100 lb) |
 |
| Photo: Anduril |
| Barracuda-500 (AGM-189A) |
In March 2025, the Air Force and the DIU announced, that the ETV program would continue in Phase 2 with two contractors, Anduril and Zone 5. By that time the program's focus had moved towards a mass-producable low-cost weapon system. In September 2025, the USAF allocated the designation AGM-189A to the Barracuda-500M cruise missile, while the Zone 5 design became the AGM-188A. In the meantime, Anduril had demonstrated a ground-launched Barracuda-500 by adding a solid-rocket booster to the otherwise essentially unchanged missile.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for AGM-189A:
| Length | ? |
| Wingspan | ? |
| Weight | ca. 225 kg (500 lb) |
| Speed | 930 km/h (500 kts) |
| Range | > 930 km (500 nm) |
| Propulsion | 1 turbojet; 670 N (150 lb) |
| Warhead | 45 kg (100 lb) |
Main Sources
[1] DIU: Four Companies
Selected To Support the U.S. Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit’s Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) Project, June 2024
[2] Anduril Website: Barracuda
[3] Anduril Press Release: Anduril Unveils Barracuda-M Family
of Cruise Missiles, 12 September 2024
[4] The War Zone, Joseph Trevithick:
Anduril Introduces Barracuda-M
That Aims To Disrupt The Cruise Missile Market, September 2024
[5] The Defense Post, Christine Casimiro: Anduril, Zone 5
Technologies Advance in US Military Enterprise Test Vehicle Prototype, March 2025
Back to Current Designations Of U.S. Unmanned Military Aerospace Vehicles
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles
Last Updated: 1 February 2026