The US Navy’s Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), has awarded a…

Anduril to build Arsenal-1 factory in Ohio
California-based Anduril Industries has named Columbus, Ohio, as the location of Arsenal-1, its first hyperscale manufacturing facility. Construction will begin shortly and the first manufacturing operations will take place in 2026. The foundation of Arsenal-1 is Arsenal OS, an integrated digital software platform that integrates the design, development, and mass production stages for all Anduril products, the company says.
Arsenal-1 is a software-defined manufacturing platform that is optimized for the mass production of autonomous systems and weapons and will redefine the scale and speed that autonomous systems and weapons can be produced for the United States and its allies and partners, the company adds. It is investing nearly US$1 billion into the development of Arsenal-1 and will bring more than 4,000 direct jobs in the largest single job-creation project in the state’s history.
Anduril says Ohio is the ideal location for its first Arsenal factory with robust infrastructure to support Anduril’s needs, a highly skilled and diverse manufacturing workforce, and a legacy of industry and customer leadership in aerospace and defence. Columbus is close to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the USAF’s National Air Intelligence Center and a critical hub for aeronautical research and operations.
“Arsenal-1 represents a step forward in how we manufacture the autonomous systems and weapons that our nation and our allies need to remain secure” said Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf. “By harnessing a world-class workforce and a scalable, software-driven approach to manufacturing, Arsenal-1 will set the standard for how we respond to the challenges of the future fight.
“Ohio’s infrastructure and talent pool make it the ideal home for this historic effort to rebuild the arsenal of democracy.”
As the United States and its allies attempt to gain affordable mass with autonomous systems and weapons, the defence industrial base must be capable of producing orders of magnitude more than it is currently producing today, the company says.
Arsenal-1 will be the first of its kind, says Anduril: a manufacturing facility that utilises a common set of commercial manufacturing tooling, machinery, and processes for every type of autonomous vehicle that it produces. Arsenal-1 will be designed to provide maximum flexibility to reallocate the most critical manufacturing resources — people, capital, machines, and materials — to meet new requirements, launch new products, or scale production to meet surges in demand, indefinitely.
Located next to Rickenbacker Airport, the site provides direct access to two 12,000-foot runways and a 75-acre private apron capable of supporting military-scale aircraft, ensuring rapid delivery of components and systems to its customers, Anduril says. At full scale, the facility will cover 465,000m2 and produce tens of thousands of military systems annually. Looking ahead, with more than 200 hectares available for future expansion, Arsenal-1 is primed for long-term scalability and will manufacture and produce most of Anduril’s autonomous weapons, sensors and systems at full rate production.
The decision to build Arsenal-1 in Ohio follows an extensive, year-long search process during which Anduril evaluated numerous locations across the United States. Pending due diligence and state and local approvals, construction on the facility will begin immediately and the first products will be manufactured beginning in July 2026, the company says.
Arsenal-1 in Ohio will join Anduril’s other factories including its solid rocket motor factory in Mississippi, robotic submarine facility in Rhode Island, launched effects factory in Georgia, XL-AUV factory in Australia and production facilities in California.