Anduril takes its first Ohio victory lap
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Gov. Mike DeWine was one of many leaders in attendance to celebrate Anduril's first autonomous aircraft completed in Ohio. Photos: Andrew King/Axios
Nearly 18 months after Anduril announced its presence in Ohio and 4 months after beginning production, the company is celebrating the first autonomous aircraft completed at its massive new factory.
Why it matters: The defense company's Arsenal-1 facility near Rickenbacker is anticipated to be one of Ohio's largest job creation and economic development projects as war in Iran adds urgency to its work.
The latest: At an unveiling Monday, the company rolled out its first completed YFQ-44A model, an autonomous drone known as the Fury.
- The event was a celebration for Anduril's first Ohio production team, joined by workers' families, company leadership and state political and economic officials.
The vibe: As the room commemorated the production of devices designed to kill, workers enjoyed an open bar and ate catered lunch while kids played games, including giant Anduril-themed Battleship.
- It was all a bit surreal.
By the numbers: Anduril now employs 133 employees in its first Ohio production facility.
- COO Matt Grimm says by 2035, the site will support 4,000 direct jobs in a dozen buildings adding up to more than 5 million square feet.
- He calls it "the largest job creation project in Ohio history."
What they're saying: Gov. Mike DeWine was ecstatic to toast Anduril, "a company of the future" furthering Ohio's status as the "aerospace capital of the world."
- "They're doing it in a different way. They threw the whole playbook out and said, 'We can do this faster. We can do it better. We can do it cheaper.'"
The big picture: Anduril's production speed helps explain its growing presence in the scheme of U.S. defense.
- Anduril is capable of cutting typical weapons program timelines from 12 to two or three years while reducing cost by 60% to 80%, Grimm told reporters in March.
That's made the company more appealing amid the ongoing war in Iran.
- Anduril has announced a half-dozen new deals and agreements since the start of June alone, including an Air Force contract to deliver more Fury models.
- Senior VP of production Keith Flynn said in March the U.S. and its allies had "a need to be able to produce these assets for ourselves and our allies at a rate that hasn't been done for a long, long time."
Despite that, Fury head of production John Malone tells Axios his team's timelines have never been adjusted and he's felt no pressure to speed up anything.
The bottom line: "Together, we delivered on what we said we could do," Malone told Monday's crowd.
- "We built Arsenal-1, we built the first YFQ-44A and we've earned the opportunity to build many more for the United States Air Force."