Anduril and Zone 5 Technologies recently conducted successful test flights of drone interceptor prototypes and have received additional funding to refine the technology, the Defense Department announced Monday.
Following Anduril and Zone 5’s recent successful flight demonstrations, both vendors received additional funding to further refine their rapid prototypes, integrate their systems with the mission partner’s combat systems, and conduct the safety testing required prior to a live fire test event in the summer of 2026.
The jet-powered Roadrunner system can fly at high subsonic speeds and carry a variety of payloads.
Roadrunner successfully deploys from prototype launch enclosure.
In 2024, @DIU_x selected Anduril to develop cUAS for the @DeptofWar’s Counter NEXT program. Today, we’ve been awarded additional funding to move into the next phase of development and ultimately deliver these… pic.twitter.com/PAScfvIRHZ
— Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) September 29, 2025
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Not a success unless the drone interceptors are no more expensive than the drones. If they’re a lot more expensive, you can just beat them by spamming the defense.
Hm.. But Roadrunner is reusable so if it can shoot down 10x-100x drones in its service life, a higher price may be ok. Only the munitions need to cost less than a drone.
Sure, I’m just saying that the cost of an intercept has to be comparable to the cost of what is intercepted. If one interceptor really can take out 100 opposition drones, it could cost 100 times as much.
Then we are in agreement