U.S. Steps Closer to Fielding Autonomous Drone İnterceptor

The United States military has moved a step closer to fielding a new short-range counter-drone capability, conducting evaluations of Anduril Industries’ Anvil interceptor and its integrated Launch Box during a recent exercise at Minot Air Force Base.

Officials and company materials describe the system as an autonomous, on-demand response for small unmanned aircraft threats that can be launched from a ruggedized ground box and guided into an intercept.

According to the company website, “The kinetic element of Anduril’s end-to-end C-UAS capability – cued by Lattice OS – Anvil navigates autonomously to intercept potential drone threats and provide visual feedback for positive identification by a human operator.”

The company says the non-kinetic variant can “detect and lock onto a potential dron threat and, when prompted by an operator, mitigate the threat via a non-kinetic, low-collateral effect,” while a munition variant called Anvil-M carries a high-explosive payload for harder targets.

The Anvil package evaluated at Minot includes the transportable Anvil Launch Box, a self-contained ground station designed to store and rapidly deploy the interceptor. The Launch Box holds two Anvils and includes an integrated environmental control unit for operational readiness.

Anvil itself is described as an autonomous kinetic interceptor for “precise and low-collateral defeat of Group 1 and 2 threats,” with a munition variant developed to address faster, higher-value targets. Company specifications list the interceptor weight at about 11.6 pounds, with a launch-box transport configuration weighing roughly 253 pounds.

During the exercise, warfighters ran the launcher and interceptors through detection, identification and engagement sequences that mirror real operational needs on bases and other fixed or semi-fixed sites. The evaluation aimed to test responsiveness, integration with command systems and the human-in-the-loop decision step that Anduril emphasizes: automated cueing and autonomous navigation paired with a final human authorization to strike.

For base commanders and force protection planners, the attraction of a small, portable counter-UAS package is clear. Existing defensive layers — long-range radars, larger kinetic interceptors and jamming systems — are not optimized for the short-range, low-altitude threats that proliferate near forward operating sites and airfields. A system that can be moved, turned up quickly and operated by a modest team could fill those gaps.

Tests like the one at Minot are part of a broader shift: fielding layered, modular counter-drone tools that range from passive detection and soft-kill effects to hard-kill interceptors when necessary. As noted by Anduril materials, the Anvil Launch Box is “ruggedized, self-contained, and easily-transportable,” language that reflects the Pentagon’s interest in systems that can be forward-deployed and resupplied without heavy logistics.

Small unmanned aerial systems are now a daily tactical hazard for U.S. forces and critical infrastructure. Faster, cheaper interceptors change the calculus for protecting airfields, missile fields and logistics hubs from swarm or standoff drone attacks. If the Anvil concept proves reliable and integrates smoothly with existing sensors and command networks, it could give base commanders a new, scalable tool to reduce risk and preserve operational continuity.