Poland took a decisive step in strengthening its defence industry by announcing the start of local production of the Surface-Launched Barracuda-500M (SLB-500M) autonomous cruise missile, developed by US-based Anduril Industries. The project will be led by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), its subsidiary Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2 (WZL-2), and Anduril, following the signing of a cooperation agreement on July 6 at WZL-2’s facilities in the city of Bydgoszcz.
The ceremony was attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and State Assets Minister Wojciech Balczun, reflecting the strategic importance Warsaw places on the initiative.
The agreement expands on the memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in October 2025 and initially provides for establishing assembly capabilities, later evolving into full missile production on Polish soil. According to PGZ and Anduril, the goal is to manufacture several thousand Barracuda-500M systems for the Polish Armed Forces.
Beyond armament supply, the programme aims to develop sovereign industrial capacity. In later phases, the supply chain will progressively incorporate Polish and European suppliers, with the goal of turning the Barracuda into a product manufactured predominantly in Europe and compliant with the requirements of the EU-led SAFE (Security Action for Europe) programme.
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“Together with our American partner, in a short time we will be able to produce and deliver several thousand autonomous long-range cruise missiles that are low-cost yet technologically advanced, based on the Barracuda system,” said Adam Leszkiewicz, president of PGZ.
For his part, Brian Moran, Anduril’s vice president for Europe, stated that “the future of deterrence belongs to nations capable of producing advanced military capabilities quickly, affordably, and in the quantities necessary to sustain a conflict,” noting that the initiative will contribute to developing a European industrial base capable of replenishing precision munitions at the pace demanded by contemporary combat scenarios.
A missile designed for mass production
The Surface-Launched Barracuda-500M responds to a growing trend in Western military planning: complementing expensive traditional cruise missiles with precision weapons that are significantly more affordable and suited for large-scale manufacturing.
The system was designed from the outset for mass production, using a simplified architecture, standardised industrial processes, and a resilient supply chain that reduces costs and manufacturing times.
According to Anduril, the missile carries a warhead of approximately 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and offers a range exceeding 500 nautical miles (over 925 kilometres). It is designed to engage land and maritime targets with high precision, while its modular design and stealth features allow the system to be adapted to different mission profiles.
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Although the version announced for Poland corresponds to the ground-launched variant, PGZ also noted that the Barracuda’s architecture enables its use from aerial platforms, expanding its potential for future evolution.
A new chapter for the European defence industry
The announcement also represents another step in Anduril’s expansion strategy within the European market. In June 2025, the US company signed a strategic alliance with Rheinmetall to develop European versions of the Barracuda and Fury autonomous systems, integrated into the German company’s digital Battlesuite ecosystem.
Anduril-Rheinmetall alliance for autonomous systems in Europe
However, that agreement established a general framework for co-development and future manufacturing without defining a specific industrial location. In contrast, the agreement signed with PGZ constitutes the first programme that materialises a concrete production line for the Barracuda-500M in Europe, establishing Bydgoszcz as one of the system’s main industrial hubs.
For Poland, the initiative also entails the incorporation of a new category of weaponry into its national arsenal, while strengthening the country’s industrial capacity to produce long-range precision weapons with export potential to other European markets, in line with the defence reindustrialisation process driven by NATO and the European Union.