Anduril Expands in Ohio with Arsenal 1 ‘Hyperscale’ Drone Plant

Anduril is making a major move with its new Arsenal 1 facility in Ohio. The plant, spanning 500 acres near Rickenbacker International Airport, will see an investment of over $900 million. The company selected the site due to its skilled workforce and business-friendly environment.

The facility will use advanced additive manufacturing and robotics to produce tens of thousands of drones per year. Initially, production will focus on existing models such as the Fury, an autonomous jet fighter that complements crewed aircraft; the Roadrunner, an interceptor and attack drone; and the Barracuda, a long-range cruise missile-style attack drone with a range of 100-500 miles.

The goal is to enhance the Air Force’s capabilities by deploying drone squadrons to support crewed fighters and conserve high-value munitions for critical targets.

From the article:

The Arsenal 1 facility will manufacture drones in high volumes, including:

  • Fury: An autonomous jet fighter designed to support crewed aircraft.
  • Roadrunner: A versatile one-way attack and interceptor drone.
  • Barracuda: A long-range attack drone or cruise missile with a range of 100-500 miles.

The Air Force’s limited fleet of F-22 fighters (currently 165 in active service) could be accompanied by swarms of Fury drones to absorb enemy fire, while Barracuda drones can take on a variety of targets, preserving the use of Tomahawk missiles for high-value missions.

@Teal
Drones as disposable decoys. Makes sense.

Leith said:
@Teal
Drones as disposable decoys. Makes sense.

It worked in Ender’s Game.

Paxton said:

Leith said:
@Teal
Drones as disposable decoys. Makes sense.

It worked in Ender’s Game.

If I remember correctly, he used other soldiers as cover.

@Beck
It was a test. They were looking for a tactical genius to win the war.

I’m pressing X to doubt so hard that I hurt my hand.

Joss said:
I’m pressing X to doubt so hard that I hurt my hand.

What’s there to doubt? Anduril has landed major defense contracts—now they’re ramping up production to meet demand.

Shan said:

Joss said:
I’m pressing X to doubt so hard that I hurt my hand.

What’s there to doubt? Anduril has landed major defense contracts—now they’re ramping up production to meet demand.

They’re overpromising. I also think they’ll struggle to get Fury out of that facility unless it’s shipped as cargo.

@Joss
Anduril is scaling too fast for its capabilities. I’ve interviewed for multiple roles there—the pay is insane, but they’re still a startup that’s stretching itself in too many directions. They have great concepts on paper, but limited real-world experience.

They’re trying to do to the defense industry what SpaceX did to NASA.

@Vale
And I’m surprised the Anduril fanboys haven’t downvoted you to oblivion.

They’ll get something working eventually, but they’re going to burn a lot of cash and break plenty of things along the way.

Joss said:
I’m pressing X to doubt so hard that I hurt my hand.

What they’re proposing seems highly improbable based on what we currently know. But time will tell.