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5d ago

Two Altius Drones Crash in Air Force Tests as Pentagon Proceeds With Purchase

The company frames recent failures as normal results of rapid development.

An Anduril Industries 700 drone is displayed at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) trade exhibition in London, Britian, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Cassell Bryan-Low
A U.S. soldier assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, prepares the Anduril Ghost-X Medium-Range Reconnaissance (MRR) drone for flight during exercise Combined Resolve 25-1 at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, January 15, 2025. U.S. Army/Sgt. Chandler Coats/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
Visitors look at the Ghost-X unmanned aerial vehicle developed by U.S. company Anduril, during the Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, September 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo
An Anduril Industries Altius 600M drone is displayed at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) trade exhibition in London, Britian, September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Cassell Bryan-Low

Overview

  • An Air Force test summary says one Altius nosedived about 8,000 feet and a second crashed during separate demos this month at Eglin Air Force Base.
  • On the same day as the demo, the Pentagon announced a purchase of Altius drones worth up to $50 million for testing, training and supportability.
  • Verified footage shows a Ghost-series drone spinning out and crash-landing during a January U.S. Army exercise in Hohenfels, which Anduril attributed to a rotor issue it says was fixed.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported additional 2025 mishaps, including more than a dozen drone boats failing in a Navy exercise, engine damage to the Fury unmanned jet, and an Anvil test that caused a 22-acre fire.
  • Anduril says it has shipped hundreds of systems to Ukraine and touts their effectiveness, while the Journal reports some Ukrainian units halted Altius use in 2024 and the UK Ministry of Defence says Ukrainian Navy users expressed satisfaction with recent deliveries.