On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the U.S. Army announced that a month earlier, on February 26, the first test firing of the ALTIUS-700M loitering munition, produced by Anduril Industries, had been conducted from a Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter during range trials.
Photo: Boeing
The firing took place during the 26th edition of the experimental exercise CDF CFWE (Cross Domain Fires Concept Focused Warfighting Experiment) at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The exercise focused on developing U.S. Army aviation capabilities within a joint, multi-domain battlefield environment. It also served as an experimental demonstration of the Army’s ability to rapidly integrate cutting-edge solutions with operational platforms.
Work on integrating medium-range MR-LE (Medium-Range Launched Effect) loitering munitions with the AH-64E Apache Guardian began in late summer 2025. By the end of February this year, the responsible U.S. Army team already had a ready solution, which was particularly impressive despite a 43-day pause in U.S. government operations during the so-called shutdown.
This success was made possible by strong cooperation between key U.S. Army institutions and leading defense industry partners. The integration effort was overseen by teams from the Transformation and Training Command (T2COM), Futures and Concepts Command (FCC), Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), and the Capability Program Executive (CPE) Aviation.
According to the U.S. Army, integrating unmanned aerial systems of various types (referred to by the military as Launched Effects) with existing Army aviation platforms will provide a significant tactical advantage. It will help close gaps in reconnaissance and surveillance, while significantly extending the range of kinetic capabilities, electronic warfare (EW), and other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activities. This will give units greater maneuverability and a decisive advantage on the battlefield (Integration of the UH-60 Black Hawk with unmanned systems).
As emphasized, this experimental event is more than just a technological milestone; it is clear evidence of the U.S. Army’s commitment to rapid and cost-effective innovation. It demonstrates the ability to move from identifying a capability gap to delivering a tangible solution for soldiers at a pace that meets the demands of a rapidly evolving security environment. The project will serve as a model for how the U.S. Army will continue to adapt and innovate.
It is also worth noting that on February 12 this year, it was reported that in December 2025, tests of the new programmable XM1225 APEX (Aviation Proximity Explosive) 30×113 mm ammunition for the M230 cannon, intended for countering drones, were conducted at Yuma.
ALTIUS-700M
The ALTIUS-700M loitering munition, produced by the American company Anduril Industries, was unveiled on March 14, 2024. The manufacturer claims that its armor penetration capabilities are comparable to those of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles.
The ALTIUS-700M has a payload capacity of nearly 15 kg (33 pounds), which the manufacturer states is comparable to the Hellfire ATGM (although in reality the AGM-114 carries various types of warheads weighing around 9 kg). After launch, it can travel a maximum distance of 160 km (100 miles) and remain airborne for up to 75 minutes. By comparison, depending on the variant, the Hellfire can engage targets in a direct line at ranges between 7.1 and 11 km.
The ALTIUS-700M builds on the success of the broader ALTIUS (Air-Launched, Tube-Integrated Unmanned System) family of unmanned systems, originally developed by Area-I and previously tested by the U.S. Army since September 2019. Subsequently, in August 2020, under the ALE program, ten companies were tasked with developing technologies for integrating unmanned systems with FARA reconnaissance-attack helicopters (which were later canceled) and tiltrotor aircraft under the FLRAA program, now known as MV-75, which will gradually replace UH-60M/V helicopters in the U.S. Army.
This is a family of modular, highly configurable, multi-platform unmanned systems designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR&T), as communication relays, for cyber operations, or for kinetic strikes (target engagement). They are launched from tube or container-based launchers.
The ALTIUS-M (600M and 700M) uses company-developed software and an open system architecture to integrate with a wide range of payloads and mission software packages. By combining advanced autonomous capabilities with a simplified user interface, a single operator can control multiple ALTIUS systems simultaneously, with each assigned a specific task (XQ-58A Valkyrie with ALTIUS-600 UAVs).
Munitions of this type have been exported to Ukraine with British funding (ALTIUS-600M) and earlier with U.S. funding (ALTIUS-600), and will also be delivered to Taiwan.
A new Apache capability takes flight.
In a U.S. Army experiment at Yuma Proving Ground, an #AH64 Apache fired a Launched Effect for the first time — deploying an air-launched UAS to extend sensing, targeting and battlefield reach.
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— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) March 26, 2026