BreakingDefense reports that at the AFA conference, defense contractors Anduril and RTX unveiled ground-launched versions of existing air-launched munitions, responding to growing demand from the Pentagon and global conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Anduril showcased a ground-based Barracuda-500 cruise missile, while RTX adapted its StormBreaker bomb for surface launch. US lawmakers praised the developments, pledging funding and support for a new missile program, including $25 million from President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Both companies are positioning to scale production amid rising interest from the U.S. and international partners. They write:

Defense contractors Anduril and RTX both unveiled ground-launched versions of existing munitions at the AFA conference outside Washington last week, pointing to growing market demand for the weapons amid trials on the modern battlefield. […]

“Over the past several months, it’s been very clear that the priority” for Pentagon and congressional leadership “is fixing our munitions gap,” Diem Salmon, Anduril’s vice president for Air Dominance and Strike, said in a briefing with reporters Tuesday.  […]

“Recent global conflicts have highlighted the need for a smart, ground-launched, precision strike weapon that can perform in GPS-contested areas,” Sam Deneke, Raytheon’s president of Air & Space Defense Systems, said in a company press release published on Wednesday. “StormBreaker is a composable weapon, which allows it to be customized to meet mission demands. […]

A key opportunity, according to Milano, is the Air Force’s new Family of Affordable Mass Missiles program, which fiscal 2026 budget documents showed a desire to buy approximately 3,000 units using One Big Beautiful Bill funds, otherwise known as reconciliation. Beyond the Pentagon, Milano said that there’s “a lot” of demand from international customers, leading to co-development agreements like one underway with Taiwan.

Read more here.

Raytheon’s press release read:

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has completed a test for a ground-launched variant of the StormBreaker smart weapon. The business designed, developed and tested the new variant in 50 days.

The test was held this spring at a private test range in the Mojave Desert. A prototype of the new StormBreaker was launched using a commercial off-the-shelf rocket motor. It achieved key milestones including reaching approximately 20,000 feet of altitude.

“Recent global conflicts have highlighted the need for a smart, ground-launched, precision strike weapon that can perform in GPS-contested areas,” said Sam Deneke, president of Air & Space Defense Systems at Raytheon. “StormBreaker is a composable weapon, which allows it to be customized to meet mission demands. Using the foundational components of air-launched StormBreaker allowed us to move faster than ever before, going from concept to test flight in under two months.”

StormBreaker is the only fielded, network-enabled smart weapon that can engage moving and stationary targets in fair and adverse weather conditions, at land or at sea. It is approved for use on the F-15E and the F/A-18-E/F Super Hornet and is currently being integrated on the F-35A/B/C.

Raytheon has invested significantly in independent research and development, capital assets and facilities, and the acquisition of subject matter experts to accelerate the development of Ground-Launched StormBreaker. The new variant covers the same target set as air-launched StormBreaker with extended range and expanded offensive capabilities. Additional tests will be held throughout 2025.