Anduril will soon begin producing its robotic drone “wingman” for the U.S. Air Force at its new Ohio factory—months ahead of schedule.
The private defence contractor announced last year that its manufacturing facility, Arsenal-1 in Columbus, Ohio, would start production in July 2026. However, Jason Levin, senior vice president of engineering for air dominance and strike, said last week that production is now imminent. The first product built there will be the YFQ-44A Fury, Anduril’s entry in the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) competition.
“We’re moving production of YFQ-44 into our Arsenal facility in Columbus in a matter of days,” Levin said in an upcoming Defense One video. “We’ll be able to produce YFQ-44s at rate, as well as many other Anduril products.”
The investment aligns with a broader push for domestic defence manufacturing. Levin said the facility spans 5 million square feet. The company has highlighted its proximity to a local airport with two 12,000-foot runways and a 75-acre apron capable of handling military-scale aircraft, enabling rapid delivery of systems and components.
A company spokesperson did not confirm the exact production start date. Anduril, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman are competing to build the Air Force’s first CCA platform.
Originally defined by affordability and attritability, the CCA concept has driven Anduril to keep costs low by using a broad commercial supply chain for key components such as engines, avionics, and landing gear.
“We can source from multiple vendors,” Levin said. “That provides price leverage and allows us to scale production if demand grows—avoiding bottlenecks from relying on just one or two suppliers.”
Last month, Anduril also began armed flight testing of its CCA offering.
Source: Defense One