Boeing has chosen Anduril as its partner in the US Army’s Integrated Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 - Second Interceptor competition. The role of Anduril will be the provision of the solid rocket motor for the new missile.

Boeing was awarded an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Project Agreement to develop the new midrange interceptor on December 5, marking a step forward in the US Army’s quest for a new mid-range interceptor meant to complement the AIM-9X in order to expand the capabilities of the Indirect/Integrated Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 ENDURING SHIELD batteries.

The new interceptor is targeted at a wide variety of air threats but will particularly be expected to counter low-flying, mid-range threats such as cruise missiles and drones. Boeing earlier indicated that its entry for this requirement is a “wholly new” missile. Anduril has not provided information about the characteristics of the rocket motor, but it must be noted that the company has been investing in a variety of new rocket motors and new chemical solutions for them. One recent, notable example of innovation has been the test of a highly loaded grain propellant and an aluminum-lithium alloy-coated propellant known as ALITEC.

The IFPC Inc 2 ENDURING SHIELD is the “mid” layer of air defence between MSHORAD and PATRIOT. The launchers are produced by Leidos with its subsidiary, Dynetics, with RTX (Raytheon) providing the interceptor (the AIM-9X SIDEWINDER missile) and the “All-Up Magazines”, assemblies of 18 canistered AIM-9X for each launcher. The system is completed by the SENTINEL A4 radar, all integrated with the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) open systems architecture, IAMD Battle Command System (IBCS).

Procurement of IFPC is a US Army priority and procurement is ramping up: the FY 2026 budget calls for the procurement of 62 launchers (when including Reconciliation funding), 432 AIM-9X missiles and 72 magazines. At present, the acquisition of a completed all up-round magazine (AUR-M) loaded with interceptors, requires a 30-month lead time due to the AIM-9X interceptor's production timeline.

The addition of a second interceptor with increased performance over the AIM-9X will expand the capabilities of the new batteries. The US Army plans to choose companies to move forward to the prototype stage of the competition for the second interceptor during 2026.

Boeing and Anduril will face stiff competition to secure this potentially huge deal: Lockheed Martin received its own OTA in October and is working in team with AeroVironment to develop a new, “high speed” interceptor that will maintain the canister footprint of the current SIDEWINDER 9X, enabling the same theorical load of 18 missiles per launcher.

RTX (Raytheon), the incumbent that provides the current interceptor and All-Up Magazine for the IFPC Inc 2 launchers, has teamed with Israel’s Rafael to offer SKYHUNTER, a US-manufactured variant of the Israeli TAMIR interceptor used in the Iron Dome system. TAMIR had originally been procured in limited quantities as interim IFPC Inc 2 solution, so in some ways a renewed selection would make a “return” to the origins of the project. The team recently opened a new production facility in Arkansas to support high-volume manufacturing of the missile.

Leidos, through its subsidiary Dynetics, is also competing with an interceptor proposal developed in house.

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