A razor wire rapid deployment unit (RDU)/barrier is disclosed. In some embodiments, the RDU includes an enclosure having a first section coupleable with a second section, the enclosure defining an interior area therein. The RDU may further include a razor wire disposed within the interior area of the enclosure, a first end of the razor wire directly coupled to the first section, and a second end of the razor wire directly coupled to the second section. The first and second sides of the enclosure may be separated from one another to deploy the razor wire from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration.