Anduril Industries, Inc. is an American defense technology company specializing in the development of advanced autonomous systems.
It was cofounded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, alongside Trae Stephens, Matt Grim, Joe Chen, and Brian Schimpf.[2][3] Anduril aims to sell systems to the U.S. Department of Defense that will incorporate artificial intelligence and robotics. Anduril's major products include unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (CUAS), semi-portable autonomous surveillance systems, and networked command and control software.
In January 2025, Anduril announced a series of Arsenal Projects, hyperscale manufacturing facilities designed to manufacture advanced autonomous weapons systems faster than near-peer American geopolitical rivals. The first is termed "Arsenal-1" and is being actively constructed near Columbus, Ohio, in consort with Ohio State University.[4][5]
History
Investor meetups
In June 2014, Palmer Luckey, the creator of the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, attended a retreat on Sonora Island, British Columbia, hosted by Founders Fund, an early Oculus investor.[6] Luckey met Trae Stephens, 30, who had recently been persuaded to leave Palantir and join Founders Fund by its leader, Peter Thiel.[6] Luckey and Stephens discovered a shared interest in seeking defense contracts for companies built like tech startups.[7] "Stephens found it ridiculous that almost no venture-backed companies worked closely with the government; with its billions of dollars to spend", aside from Palantir and SpaceX. Founders Fund was also an early SpaceX investor. "Stephens' goal was to fund a company to join that duo", but found it difficult to accomplish in Silicon Valley.[6]
Products
Altius
The Anduril Altius (Agile Launched, Tactically-Integrated Unmanned System)[52] is a series of fixed-wing, tube-launched unmanned aerial vehicles developed by Area-I, an Atlanta-based subsidiary that Anduril acquired in April 2021. Altius 600 accepts a modular payload on the nose. It can be launched from different launchers and platforms, including C-130 aircraft, UH-60 Blackhawks, and various ground vehicles, as well as larger UAVs, including the MQ-1C Grey Eagle and Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie stealth UCAV.
Anvil
Anvil, also known as Interceptor, is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle quadcopter designed principally to attack other unmanned aerial vehicles.[56] After launch, Anvil locates target drones using computer vision,[54]
Military programs
Advanced Battle Management System / Joint All-Domain Command & Control
ABMS is a digital architecture battlefield management system, designed to connect data across a variety of sources and weapons,[102] including "jets, drones, ships and soldiers"[103] The task is difficult due to the lack of data interoperability. For example, the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters were designed with incompatible tactical datalinks.[103] ABMS is part of Pentagon's Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2), which aims to network all military assets[12] into a single data-sharing infrastructure.[102]
Headquarters
Anduril is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with satellite offices in Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Washington, D.C., London, and Sydney. The company chose to base itself in Irvine due to its proximity to military bases and to stay away from Silicon Valley, which has been more cautious about working for the military.[9] According to COO Grimm, Anduril's work requires in-person interaction. The company must use industrial equipment to build their products, has security requirements for classified contracts, and supplies in-person demonstrations for potential clients.[101]
The company operates a testing range near Camp Pendleton.[9]
The Press
In July 2018, Anduril leased a 155000 sqft building next to
Autonomous weapons facilities
Arsenal Project
In January 2025, Anduril announced a series of Arsenal Projects, hyperscaling computer facilities for autonomous weapons.
Arsenal-1 (prototype)
Anduril announced the construction of a manufacturing facility at Rickenbacker International Airport in Pickaway County, Ohio to be named "Arsenal-1", with subsequent Arsenals planned.[106][107][108] This facility will be designed to be able to manufacture advanced systems faster than near peer manufacturers.[109]
Corporate affairs
Development ethos
Luckey aims to replicate a high-tech startup in the traditionally slower-paced defense industry.[72] Anduril has a stated goal of helping to modernize the militaries of US and its allies, in the face of "strategic adversaries", including Russia and China.[72]
According to Wired, Anduril uses Silicon Valley-style development schemes, pre-emptively developing products for potential military markets before the Pentagon has expressed a request to purchase them.[2] The company attempts to use commercial technologies such as AI and VR for faster iteration.[2][11]
Military relations
Criticism and controversies
In 2019, Anduril was called "Tech's Most Controversial Startup".[8]
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's use of Anduril's sentry towers has been criticized by the ACLU and other human rights and immigration activists for pushing migrants toward ever more dangerous routes, and normalizing surveillance near the border.[100][8][91][114] Similarly, the U.K. Home Office's use of Anduril's maritime sentry towers has been criticized by the Migrants Rights Network and other immigration activists.[115][116]
External links
References
- Sheera Frenkel. The Pentagon’s Favorite Tech Guy Is This Hawaiian Shirt-Wearing Founder The New York Times, 2026-03-02, retrieved 2026-03-03^
- Will Knight. Anduril's New Drone Offers to Inject More AI Into Warfare Wired, September 10, 2020, retrieved July 25, 2021^
- Anduril