Anduril Industries is set to launch its massive Arsenal-1 weapons manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio.

Assembly lines expected to become operational within weeks, founder Palmer Luckey revealed to Axios. The facility, designed for rapid mass production of advanced aerial and maritime drone systems, is progressing ahead of its original July 2026 target.

The final site survey is underway, while the first main building—spanning about 1 million square feet—has been completed. Exterior construction on a second building is also finished. 

Located adjacent to Rickenbacker Airport, Arsenal-1 provides direct access to two 12,000-foot runways and features a 75-acre private apron that can accommodate military-scale aircraft. This location ensures swift delivery of components and systems to customers, a press release stated.

Once fully scaled, the facility will cover 5 million square feet and is projected to produce tens of thousands of military systems each year. Anduril has already invested nearly $1 billion of its own capital in the site's development.

In parallel, the company is reportedly raising $4 billion in a funding round led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), which would value Anduril at $60 billion. Existing backers Founders Fund and Lux Capital are also expected to participate, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this month, Anduril secured a 10-year U.S. Army contract aimed at streamlining procurement, lowering administrative costs, and speeding up the deployment of critical technologies to warfighters and government stakeholders. The agreement, encompassing a five-year base period and a five-year optional extension, carries a maximum potential value of $20 billion, though not all funds are guaranteed.

The contract consolidates management of Anduril's commercially available technologies, previously acquired through more than 120 separate procurement actions by the Department of War.

Ranked 93rd on the Defense News Top 100 for global defense revenue, Anduril is competing against industry giants. 

Its immediate competitors include Spirit AeroSystems (92nd) and M1 Support Services (94th), while Lockheed Martin, the top-ranked company, reported $68 billion in defense revenue in 2024, followed by RTX with $43 billion.

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