Anduril Bolt-M UAV

Overview:

Bolt-M by Anduril is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is presently on contract with US Marine Corps’s Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program. It is a backpackable quadcopter type drone.^[1]https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2024/10/16/andurils-bolt-m-is-the-future-for-us-forces-if-they-can-afford-it/ The Bolt UAV is available in two variants, Bolt, which is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaisance purposes, and Bolt-Mwhich is the munition version. The system has multiple autonomous features which are supported by a ‘tactical version of Anduril’s Lattice software platform’. Bolt-M is equipped with  advanced onboard AI/ML software ‘to find, track, and strike dynamic targets.’ The drone can be operated with a touchscreen by troops to pick targets, decide how far away the drone should stay from targets, and the angle of attack.^[2]https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2024/10/10/anduril-debuts-bolt-loitering-munition-on-contract-with-marine-corps/ The drone ‘can shift between warheads intended to strike personnel and equipment, designed in partnership with Kraken Kinetics, based in North Carolina.’^[3]https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2024/10/10/anduril-debuts-bolt-loitering-munition-on-contract-with-marine-corps/

Autonomy:

The Anduril Bolt-M UAV has  ‘onboard software to automate the flight behaviors required to accurately track and strike a target, while providing human operators with four simple decisions: where to look, what to follow, how to engage, and when to strike.'^[4]https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-unveils-bolt-and-bolt-m/ The Bolt-M is capable of ‘autonomous waypoint navigation and target-agnostic object tracking, customizable standoff distances and engagement modalities’ and can be used against ‘static or moving ground-based targets, including light vehicles, dismounted personnel, trenches, and more.’