Anduril to build FURY drones in Ohio

Anduril Industries will soon begin production of its high-speed combat drone FURY at a new Ohio manufacturing facility, advancing U.S. investment in autonomous air combat systems amid rising demand driven by conflicts such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East. FURY is Anduril’s entry for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft concept—a “ loyal wingman” uncrewed platform intended to operate alongside crewed fighters and other aircraft as part of a next‑generation family of systems.

The company will launch production at Arsenal‑1, a $1 billion plant that Anduril says will initially employ about 250 workers by year’s end and scale to more than 4,000 over the next decade. Anduril emphasizes the need to move beyond traditional low‑volume defense manufacturing toward higher‑volume production to meet modern battlefield requirements, combining quantity with advanced capabilities. The firm highlights FURY’s autonomy, sensor fusion and AI-enabled decision support as core features designed for contested environments, including reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike missions.

Anduril is among a new wave of smaller defense technology companies competing for Pentagon contracts for next‑generation weapons, leveraging commercial‑style manufacturing and software‑centric design to accelerate development and scale. Officials and analysts note the broader strategic imperative: autonomous systems are becoming central to military planning as forces seek to increase stand‑off effects, reduce risk to personnel and maintain technological edge.

The Ohio facility is positioned to become a key node in the U.S. defense industrial base, with local officials pointing to economic benefits from job creation and supply‑chain activity. Production of FURY at Arsenal‑1 will test Anduril’s ability to deliver advanced unmanned platforms at scale and could influence procurement decisions for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and allied partners seeking similar capabilities.

As global competition in drone and AI‑driven systems intensifies, Anduril’s ramp‑up underscores the Pentagon’s push for rapid industrialization of autonomous platforms and the private sector’s role in meeting those needs; procurement outcomes, field testing, and integration with manned platforms will determine how quickly systems like FURY enter operational service.