Anduril, a defense tech company co-founded by Palmer Luckey, is considering building its first major manufacturing plant in Arizona, Ohio, or Texas. The 5-million-square-foot facility, known as “Arsenal-1,” would be used to develop and produce autonomous drones, planes, and submarines.
The company has raised $1.5 billion at a post-money valuation of $14 billion, with plans to use the funds for manufacturing, hiring, and expanding its production capabilities. Anduril promises that the Arsenal-1 facility will employ “thousands” of people and produce “tens of thousands” of autonomous military systems annually.
The location is still undecided, but sources close to the company say it’s likely one of the three states mentioned. The U.S. Air Force has already chosen Anduril to develop and test small unmanned fighter jets, a significant win for the 7-year-old VC-backed business.
Anduril currently manufactures its systems in several locations, including Georgia, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Australia. However, it wants the new facility to be a prototype of a faster, cheaper, software-defined factory that can increase production rapidly and nimbly. This would mark a significant shift from traditional bespoke manufacturing methods.
The company’s headquarters will remain in California, but its staff will likely be based at Arsenal-1. Anduril has attracted investors such as Founders Fund, Sands Capital, Fidelity Management & Research Company, and Baillie Gifford for its latest funding round.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/04/anduril-is-considering-arizona-ohio-or-texas-for-its-massive-manufacturing-facility-source-says