Barracuda Missiles: Cheaper, Longer-Range Alternative to Tomahawks
The Barracuda family of missiles, produced by Anduril, is emerging as a cheaper, longer-range alternative to Tomahawks for strikes in the European theater. While Tomahawks are more expensive and limited in supply, with a recent Dutch order costing around $12.5 million per missile, Barracudas offer a more affordable option.
Barracudas can be launched from both aircraft and the ground, with a likely ground-launch range of 600-700 km. They use a combination of inertial navigation, GNSS, and terrain-contour matching for guidance, and have smaller warheads compared to Tomahawks, with the largest Barracuda-500 carrying around 45 kg of explosive payload.
The Barracuda family includes three variants with different ranges: Barracuda-100 (110-150 km), Barracuda-250 (280-370 km), and Barracuda-500 (up to 900 km when air-launched). These missiles are not yet in serial production, with meaningful output expected only by late 2026 if substantial purchase orders materialize. They are likely to complement rather than replace heavier cruise missiles, serving as a cheaper option for soft targets and logistics nodes.
The US was reportedly considering providing Ukraine with intelligence for long-range strikes and powerful weapons such as Tomahawks and Barracuda cruise missiles. However, as of 2025, there is no clear, publicly available information on the current manufacturer of the Barracuda spin-stabilized missile, making it difficult to assess the timeline for potential supply.
