The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is buying more than 600 Bolt-M one-way attack drones from Anduril in a deal valued at almost $24 million.
As per the firm’s recent press statement, the purchase has been made under the Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) programme which starts next month.
Between February and April this year, Anduril is set to deliver more than 600 of the man-portable systems to the USMC. The award follows just over a year of USMC testing on an initial 250 supplied units.
A form of uncrewed aerial system (UAS), the Bolt-M is a quadcopter carried in a rucksack. Each carries a 3lb warhead, and has a range of 12 miles and a flight time of 40 minutes.
Its online sensors and AI fly it automatically once a target is selected via its control station. The drone also carries a thermal imaging camera for night operations.
The Anduril statement noted: “The USMC’s OPF-L program is designed to provide dismounted Marine infantry rifle squads with a man-packable, easy-to-operate precision strike capability to engage adversaries beyond line of sight.”
It added it expected the first Bolt-M systems to be operationally fielded this summer.
- You can read more details on the Anduril website