Covenant Anthem

History

Covenant Anthem is a ground-launched long-range precision-strike missile developed by Covenant, a U.S.-Israeli defense startup founded in 2024. The company describes Anthem as a deep precision-strike munition designed around high-rate production, lower unit cost, and a payload exceeding 200 kg.

The missile first flew in 2025. By September 2026, Covenant said that Anthem had completed more than 200 flights, including testing involving U.S. government organizations. The program has also attracted interest from Germany, whose defense ministry confirmed that talks with Covenant were underway.

Anthem remains in testing and qualification rather than established operational service. Covenant says serial production is planned from 2027 at facilities in the United States and Germany, while a smaller Israeli production site is also planned. A maritime derivative is being developed for the U.S. Navy.

Development and testing

Covenant was founded in 2024 and operated without publicly revealing Anthem for roughly two years. The company publicly introduced the weapon in September 2026. Reporting by The War Zone described Anthem as a weapon conceived for large-scale production rather than as a direct one-for-one replacement for more expensive cruise missiles.

Covenant says Anthem made its maiden flight in 2025. By September 2026, the company claimed more than 200 test flights. The weapon also participated in U.S. Army testing, including Project Convergence Capstone 6 experiments. On 6 August 2026, an Anthem was used during a live-fire event at the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center near Tan-Tan, Morocco. U.S. military imagery from the event initially identified the weapon only as a defense-industry partner cruise missile before later reporting connected it with Anthem.

The test program has included complete missiles as well as stress testing of components under varying conditions. NextGen Defense reported that Anthem was undergoing accelerated testing and qualification under an Other Transaction Agreement with the U.S. Army.

Public reporting differs on the precise flight total. Most September 2026 reports cite more than 200 flights, while VPK.name reported more than 250 test flights. The higher figure is not independently confirmed by the other supplied sources.

German interest

On 11 September 2026, Germany's defense ministry confirmed that the Bundeswehr was in discussions with Covenant concerning Anthem. The ministry did not disclose the state of the negotiations or how the missile might fit into German force planning. Defense News reported that Germany was considering the weapon while seeking additional long-range strike options.

Germany had not been identified as an Anthem operator or customer at that time. The discussions therefore represented potential procurement rather than a confirmed acquisition.

Production plans

Covenant's principal U.S. manufacturing facility is in Grand Prairie, Texas. The approximately 105,000-square-foot plant is intended to begin serial production in the first quarter of 2027 and eventually reach a stated capacity of 5,000 missiles per year. These figures are production targets rather than achieved output.

The company is also establishing production in Saxony, Germany. Covenant has described the German operation as part of a European supply chain and has stated a long-term capacity goal of another 5,000 missiles annually. Reporting differs on the first German deliveries. Some accounts indicated that an unnamed international customer could receive German-built missiles before the end of 2026, while Defense News reported that serial production in Germany was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.

A smaller facility in northern Israel is planned for production of as many as 2,000 missiles annually. If all three sites eventually meet Covenant's stated goals, combined capacity would reach up to 12,000 missiles per year. None of those full-rate production targets had been demonstrated by September 2026.

Covenant says Anthem was designed around commercially available components, multiple suppliers, and long-term engine procurement agreements. The company has stated that it has several suppliers for the solid rocket motor and agreements covering thousands of jet engines. This supply-chain strategy is intended to support sustained high-volume production.

Design

Anthem is a ground-launched, air-breathing missile with wings and a cylindrical fuselage. Public images show a tapered nose, tricycle landing gear, and a jet engine mounted beneath the fuselage. Covenant has not publicly released detailed dimensions, mass, guidance architecture, speed, accuracy, or survivability characteristics.

Launch and propulsion

The missile uses a solid rocket motor during launch and then transitions to a heavy-fuel jet engine for sustained cruise flight. Imagery from U.S.-linked testing shows the missile equipped with tricycle landing gear, leading some reporting to conclude that the initial Anthem configuration may use a runway for takeoff under booster power rather than a conventional canister or transporter-erector-launcher.

This apparent launch arrangement has not been fully described by Covenant. Defense News characterized Anthem as ground-launched but noted that the company had not provided details of its launch system. MiGFlug likewise described the combination of landing gear, booster, and jet propulsion visible in public imagery.

Payload and range

Covenant states that Anthem can carry a payload exceeding 200 kg. The company has not officially disclosed the missile's maximum range. Independent reports have cited an unconfirmed figure of approximately 1,200 km, or about 750 miles, but this should not be treated as an official specification.

Guidance type, accuracy, terminal guidance, electronic-countermeasure resistance, and other survivability measures have not been publicly disclosed. The available evidence therefore supports describing Anthem as a long-range precision-strike weapon without assigning unsupported accuracy or penetration characteristics.

Cost and production approach

Covenant is positioning Anthem as a comparatively affordable missile intended for production in large quantities. Reuters-derived reporting cited by several supplied sources gives a target price in the mid-six-figure U.S. dollar range once serial production reaches scale. This is a projected production target rather than a demonstrated unit price.

The design philosophy emphasizes parts availability and manufacturing throughput. Covenant says it deliberately avoided dependence on single suppliers for critical components and established multiple sources for rocket motors while securing long-term agreements for jet engines.

Program status

As of September 2026, Anthem was undergoing accelerated qualification and continued flight testing. Covenant said flight tests were taking place regularly and that the weapon had already been tested with U.S. government organizations.

U.S. Army deliveries were expected in 2027 under an accelerated qualification effort, according to supplied reporting. Germany was engaged in discussions with Covenant but had not announced an order. Covenant also stated that unidentified international customers could receive missiles earlier, although publicly available information did not identify those customers.

The company's transition from development to serial production remained a central program objective. Its stated production rates for the United States, Germany, and Israel were future goals and should not be interpreted as achieved manufacturing output.

Variants

• Anthem: Initial ground-launched deep precision-strike missile. It uses a solid rocket motor for launch and a heavy-fuel jet engine for cruise flight and carries a payload exceeding 200 kg.
• Maritime Anthem: Naval derivative under development through a contract with the U.S. Navy's Rapid Capabilities Office. Supplied reporting places the contract value at approximately $70 million and states that the effort includes Defense Exportability Features intended to support potential allied use.

Specifications (Anthem)

General characteristics

• Manufacturer: Covenant
• Type: Ground-launched long-range precision-strike missile
• Payload: More than 200 kg (441 lb)
• Launch propulsion: Solid rocket motor
• Cruise propulsion: Heavy-fuel jet engine
• Launch arrangement: Ground-launched; public test imagery shows tricycle landing gear, while detailed launcher information has not been disclosed

Performance

• Range: Not officially disclosed; unconfirmed reports cite approximately 1,200 km (about 750 mi)
• Guidance: Not publicly disclosed
• Accuracy: Not publicly disclosed