U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries is working with Poland’s state-owned defense group PGZ on plans to assemble and manufacture the surface-launched Barracuda-500M cruise missile in Poland. While discussions with Poland’s Ministry of National Defence are still underway, Anduril is also proposing its Fury autonomous combat aircraft and Thunder autonomous attack rotorcraft as potential additions to the country’s future military capabilities. If selected, Poland could become the first European operator of both systems.
Brian Moran, Anduril’s vice president for Europe, told Defense News at the MSPO defense exhibition that the company’s cooperation with PGZ extends beyond the Barracuda program. Anduril is also positioning its autonomous aircraft as complementary systems for Poland’s planned fleets of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter aircraft and Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
Moran highlighted Fury as a key element of Anduril’s collaborative combat aircraft strategy. The autonomous aircraft has been selected by the U.S. Air Force for its CCA program and is designed to operate alongside crewed fighters. According to Moran, Poland’s acquisition of the F-35 creates an opportunity for Fury to serve as an autonomous partner to the aircraft, increasing combat capability while reducing the exposure of pilots and other personnel to hostile threats.
Poland has ordered 32 F-35 fighters, with the first aircraft arriving in the country in May. Warsaw is also preparing to receive 96 AH-64E Apache helicopters. The helicopter acquisition has prompted Anduril to discuss a possible Polish purchase of its Thunder autonomous attack platform, which the company unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.
Moran described Thunder as an autonomous collaborative platform designed to work with Apache attack helicopters. He said the system could provide a force multiplier for Poland as it builds up its Apache fleet, particularly given the significant training requirement associated with preparing crews to operate 96 helicopters.
Deliveries of Poland’s 96 Apaches, along with associated equipment and weapons, are scheduled to begin in 2028. Once all the helicopters are delivered, Poland is expected to become the world’s second-largest Apache operator, behind the United States.
To prepare for the arrival of the larger fleet, Poland’s Ministry of National Defence signed a $300 million agreement with the United States last year to lease eight AH-64D Apache helicopters. The temporary fleet is intended to provide Polish personnel with operational and training experience ahead of the delivery of the new AH-64E aircraft.
