American defence manufacturer Anduril Industries has raised the possibility of producing its newly unveiled Steelfin missile interceptors with European partners, including Poland, potentially extending an existing Polish-American defence industry partnership into air and missile defence.
Brian Moran, Anduril’s vice-president for Europe, told Reuters that the company was interested in working with Polish customers and manufacturers as it developed the new interceptor family.
In an interview reported by Reuters on 16 October, Moran said he hoped Steelfin could eventually become a project involving Polish industry, while emphasising that Anduril would also consider partnerships elsewhere in Europe.
The comments do not constitute a manufacturing agreement or procurement commitment. No Polish Steelfin production site, investment figure or delivery schedule has been announced.
Nevertheless, the possibility carries significance because Anduril and Poland’s state-owned defence group PGZ already have a formal partnership covering the planned production of another American missile system in Poland.
Poland already has a production agreement with Anduril
The potential Steelfin cooperation follows an agreement signed on 6 July 2026 between Anduril, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 (WZL-2), a military aviation company based in Bydgoszcz in northern Poland.
The agreement covers the establishment of Polish assembly capabilities and subsequent production of Barracuda-500M cruise missiles.
According to the Polish Ministry of State Assets’ announcement, the project envisages gradually increasing the use of Polish and European components, with local industry also participating in further development of the weapon.
The initial phase is expected to involve assembly using American-supplied components, followed by greater localisation of production and technology.
Polish officials have presented the project as an opportunity to strengthen the country’s domestic defence manufacturing capabilities rather than relying solely on imports of completed weapons.
A further strategic agreement announced on 7 July involved Poland, the United States, Estonia and Latvia. Under the proposed cooperation, Poland would become a principal European manufacturing centre for Barracuda-500M systems and support regional deliveries.
Estonia and Latvia have expressed interest in purchasing the system, according to the Polish government. Expressions of interest do not, however, establish that deliveries have been contracted or completed.
The distinction between the two missile programmes is important. Barracuda-500M is a long-range offensive cruise missile designed to strike land and maritime targets. Steelfin, by contrast, is a defensive interceptor intended to destroy incoming aerial threats.
Although both programmes are associated with Anduril, the existing Barracuda agreement does not automatically extend to Steelfin.
What is Anduril’s new Steelfin interceptor?
Anduril unveiled the Steelfin family on 12 October 2026, presenting it as a modular series of surface-to-air missiles designed to counter threats ranging from cruise missiles to ballistic and potentially hypersonic weapons.
The company says the system uses a two-stage architecture, combining interchangeable booster configurations with a common terminal interceptor.
Shared components, software and manufacturing processes are intended to allow different variants to be produced using much of the same industrial infrastructure.
Anduril argues that this approach could make interceptors cheaper and easier to manufacture in large quantities than conventional systems requiring more specialised production lines.
The company envisages Steelfin operating alongside established missile-defence systems, including Patriot, rather than necessarily replacing them.
Its cost and performance ambitions remain manufacturer claims. Steelfin has not yet demonstrated its full intended capabilities through a completed flight-testing programme.
The company says representative test vehicles have undergone ballistic testing, with flight testing of Steelfin variants planned to begin in 2027.
Reuters reported that Anduril hopes eventually to manufacture several thousand interceptors annually, although that is a production ambition rather than an achieved output level.
Why European production matters
The possibility of European manufacturing comes as NATO countries seek to increase their capacity to produce missiles and replenish ammunition stockpiles.
Russia’s war against Ukraine, alongside conflicts in the Middle East, has exposed the pressure that sustained military operations can place on air-defence supplies.
Modern interception systems can be highly effective, but their missiles are expensive and often difficult to replace rapidly.
Using sophisticated interceptors against large numbers of relatively inexpensive drones also creates an economic challenge for defending forces.
Manufacturers are consequently developing alternative systems intended to offer greater production volumes and a wider range of options against different threats.
For Poland, participation in such programmes could offer benefits beyond acquiring additional weapons.
Domestic production could potentially support local suppliers, develop technical expertise and improve access to equipment, maintenance and future upgrades.
However, those potential advantages depend on the scope of any eventual industrial agreement, including how much production, technology and decision-making authority would actually be located in Poland.
Moran acknowledged the trade-offs involved in European defence manufacturing.
According to Reuters, he said greater localisation could strengthen security of supply and industrial independence, but could also increase costs and extend production timelines.
That creates a difficult balance between developing domestic capabilities and delivering urgently needed weapons as quickly as possible.
What happens next?
Anduril’s immediate priority is to continue developing Steelfin and move towards flight testing in 2027.
Any potential Polish involvement would require further discussions covering industrial responsibilities, manufacturing arrangements, costs and potential military customers.
The company’s established relationship with PGZ and WZL-2 provides a foundation for those discussions, but it is not evidence that Steelfin production in Poland has been agreed.
For now, the development indicates that Poland is being considered as a possible partner in another advanced American defence programme, at a time when European countries are seeking greater control over how and where their military equipment is manufactured.
