Sea-Air-Space: Anduril Introduces Copperhead AUV-Launched Torpedoes

Anduril’s Copperhead AUVs on display above the company’s booth at Sea-Air-Space. *Photo credit: Brett Davis*

Anduril Industries (Booth 1623) took another step in advancing undersea warfare with the announcement of its Copperhead family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), including torpedoes, the first to be designed for launch from autonomous systems.

Anduril’s Copperhead AUV family currently includes two variants, a 12.75-inch diameter version with a dry weight payload of 100 pounds, and a 21-inch diameter with a dry weight payload of 500 pounds. These can be used for a variety of undersea missions, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, teaming with its Seabed Sentry sensor system, or locating objects such as a downed aircraft, said Shane Arnott, Anduril’s chief engineer, in an April 4 news conference. The Copperheads can carry a variety of sensors, such as sonar, magnetometers and chemical detectors.

Arnott said the Copperhead M version of either the 100 or 500 size is equipped with a warhead to serve as a torpedo. The company’s Dive-XL AUV can carry dozens of Copperhead 100-Ms of multiple Copperhead-500Ms, a company release said.

He said the Copperhead M can be produced in much greater quantities and at less cost than traditional torpedoes such as the Mark 48 and Mark 54 currently used by the U.S. Navy. The Copperhead, which can travel at speeds in excess of 30 knots, also can be deployed from a Group 4 or 5 unmanned aerial vehicle.

Arnott said the Copperhead already has been tested in water.