Title: Anduril Expands in Ohio with Arsenal 1, a Cutting-edge Drone Production Facility
In August, disruptive defense technology company Anduril declared they had raised a substantial $1.5 billion to construct a 'hyperscale manufacturing facility.' Their objective was to produce 'orders of magnitude' more drones than existing methods, with the ambition to 'rebuild the arsenal of democracy.'
This vision is now materializing with the announcement of a massive advanced tech development in Ohio. The new five-million-square-foot facility, named Arsenal 1, will generate over 4,000 new jobs.
Anduril's high-tech arsenal
The new facility officially comes into existence following announcements from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and JobsOhio. Reputed to be the biggest employment project ever in Ohio's history, Arsenal 1 will be located on 500 acres in Pickaway County, near Rickenbacker International Airport.
Anduril plans to invest over $900 million in the area, drawn by its skilled workforce and supportive business climate. The facility will embody software-defined production, elevating current highly data-driven processes to an entirely new level. This method will allow for seamless integration of new requirements into the production process, reducing a process that once took months or years to alter to just a short timeframe.
Anduril places high value on AI. Their Lattice platform enables various drones, sensors, and other systems to connect, enabling them to react and respond quickly at machine speed. AI will likely be a driving force behind the entire manufacturing process.
Arsenal 1 promises to implement extensive additive manufacturing and robotics from day one. The plant is built for the production of tens of thousands of drones per year, initially projected to produce Anduril's existing product range: the Fury (an autonomous jet fighter that pairs with crewed platforms), the Roadrunner (a one-way interceptor and attack drone), and Barracuda (a long-range attack drone or cruise missile with a range of 100-500 miles).
While traditional assembly lines might not be present, the plant's software-defined production will enable a swift transition between various system production types.
Significantly, Anduril is focused on presenting uncrewed alternatives in line with current Department of Defense culture, rather than Elon Musk's idea of Pentagon swarms of tiny drones. Instead, Anduril offers cost-effective uncrewed options that can deliver comparable capabilities to those in current use by military forces.
The Replicator's Record
This bold investment by Anduril coincides with the improvement report on the Pentagon's Replicator initiative. Inspired by events in Ukraine, this venture aimed to provide the military with large numbers of low-cost drones rapidly.
Currently, there are doubts about the future of Replicator. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who championed Replicator, is due to leave on January 20. While multiple systems have been procured via Replicator, the majority of the 3,000 systems ordered will be Switchblade 600 attack drones produced by AeroVironment Inc of California.
The high cost of Switchblade 600, approximately $200,000 per drone, means that only a limited number of these will be acquired. New technologies and economies of scale are needed to result in more cost-effective solutions.
Drone Arsenals from Other Nations
In contrast to the modest scope of Replicator's acquisitions, the European Drone Coalition plans to send 30,000 FPV attack drones to Ukraine at a cost of $55 million – about ten times as many drones for less than one-tenth of the price. While these drones might not match the capabilities of SwitchBlades, mass production can be effective in managing multiple targets.
Meanwhile, China has reportedly placed an order for nearly a million attack drones. The specifics of this order, such as size and type, remain unknown but have raised concerns in some circles.
Ukraine and Russia each produced over a million small drones in 2021, though with varying degrees of automation. While Ukraine's production is more decentralized and relies on smaller workshops, the U.S. currently lacks the production capabilities in this sector when compared to its competitors.
Arsenal 1, which combines mass production and the ability to rapidly adapt to new designs, appears to represent a significant step towards addressing this gap. It remains to be seen whether Anduril's government customers will invest in these new capabilities.
In line with their ambitious plan to rebuild the arsenal of democracy, Anduril is establishing Arsenal 1, a massive five-million-square-footer in Ohio, which will contribute to drone production and generate over 4,000 jobs. This investment of over $900 million in Ohio is expected to revolutionize drone manufacturing, leveraging AI and advanced technology in the software-defined production process.
The new facility, named Arsenal 1, will focus on producing Anduril's existing drone range, including the Fury, Roadrunner, and Barracuda, thereby increasing production capabilities and offering cost-effective uncrewed alternatives to military forces.
