It's "go time" for Anduril after defense-tech hat trick

Anduril Industries is on a hot streak.Why it matters: The neo-prime is biting off bigger and bigger chunks of the defense-contracting pie.In 2019, it deployed a handful of sentry towers alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Now, it's scheming to build and fly robo-wingmen for the military.What they're saying: "Over the last eight years, Anduril has been consistent in our view of modern warfare: The physics of the battlefield have changed, permanently. Projecting power increasingly demands the ability to amass tons of effects over long distances," chief business officer Matt Steckman told Axios."Superior software and massive quantities of hardware are indispensable to this task," he said."We are not celebrating views shifting towards our way of thinking. The proof is whether you can build, whether you can scale. It's go time."The big picture: In the past few weeks, Anduril publicized:A $1.1 billion deal for a fleet of Australian Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous submarines.Shane Arnott, a senior vice president at Anduril, told reporters that program success means Australia's navy will be among "the biggest operators of subsea robots in the world."A $159 million prototyping arrangement for the U.S. Army's Soldier Borne Mission Command effort. (Rivet Industries, a startup with Palantir Technologies ties, also secured a $195 million deal.)Palmer Luckey, the founder of Anduril, told reporters his company's "been building a lot of the underpinnings of SBMC for years." It was "one of the first things that we started working on, using our own money."If Anduril hadn't been selected, "I'd be having some really hard meetings with my investors, who had been insisting for quite a while that this seemed to be the continuation of me having a pissing contest with Meta over who can build better head-mounted displays."A contract for "conceptual designs" of U.S. Navy drone wingmen, similar to the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative. (Boeing, General Atomics and Northrop Grumman are also in the running.)An Anduril spokesperson told reporters the company is dialed in to the "Navy's distinct needs" and plans to deliver "at a rapid speed and formidable scale."Follow the money: Anduril is the 93rd-largest defense contractor in the world when ranked by defense revenue, according to the Defense News Top 100. But it's muscling its way into competition with the big boys higher up the list.The company's wins, above, span different countries and different domains — land, air and sea.It was valued at more than $30 billion as of June.Between the lines: The West Coast weapons bros are influencing how the Pentagon thinks, tries and buys.Go deeper: In remote Texas, Anduril probes future of drone warfare

Comments

World news

Donald Trump accuses journalist of ‘hurting Australia’ for asking about his wealth

Independent

Strip club executives accused of bribing tax auditor with lap dances to save millions: ‘The girls were very beautiful and nice’

about 10 hours ago

Independent

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says it ‘takes two to tango’ over lack of progress on Putin-Zelensky talks

about 10 hours ago

Independent

Migrants were locked up in temporary detention facility at Fort Bliss despite 60 violations of federal standards, inspectors find

about 10 hours ago

Target expands next-day delivery service to better compete with rivals including Amazon

Independent

Comments

World news

Donald Trump accuses journalist of ‘hurting Australia’ for asking about his wealth

Why is Donald Trump suing the New York Times for $15 billion?

Spain records hottest summer on record as heatwaves and wildfires grip country

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits after being ‘silenced’ by Unilever

Hundreds of tourists stranded at Machu Picchu after protests block railway

Inflation stays at 3.8% – what it means for your money

Watching Thomas Partey against Spurs was uncomfortable for everyone involved

After reading the Wild Swans sequel, I never want to go to China

Racism towards Diane Abbott is worse when it comes from her own party

Rebel Labour MPs warn whips they have no confidence in Starmer

Granting Chelsea an Abramovich loophole would set a dangerous precedent

Many ask where the hurricanes are this season as the Atlantic remains quiet

Rwanda-backed rebels parade new recruits raising questions over Congo peace deal

Boat with over 100 migrants runs aground in Dakar, Senegal

Al-Qaida-linked militants target fuel trucks in Mali in a blockade that could squeeze the economy

Thousands rally across Slovakia against austerity measures and pro-Russian policies

Pope tells new US ambassador he is praying for Charlie Kirk and his family

Pet python suffocated girl, 2, and tried to eat her as she slept in her cot

Eight-month-old baby found dead covered in vomit and faeces while parents took drugs

Watch: Key takeaways from Charlie Kirk suspect's first court appearance

Eritrean man wins block on removal from UK to France under 'one in, one out' deal

Most U.K. Political Leaders Are Cautiously Welcoming Trump. Not This One.

Robert Redford remembered for his deep legacy in environmental activism and Native American advocacy

Why Trump blimp won’t make an appearance at this week’s UK state visit

Menendez brothers petition for a new trial has been rejected by a judge

‘Take your dementia meds, grandpa’: Newsom takes aim at Trump over ‘lie’ about California’s wildfire rebuild

King Charles III prepares to welcome Trump for historic second state visit at Windsor Castle

Israel Is Orchestrating an Economic Collapse in the West Bank

11 coming-of-age shows to watch after The Summer I Turned Pretty

I yell at my son, but my husband is gentle – I feel guilty and exhausted

Life in London made me ill – so I moved to Spain and it was the best thing I did

Sir Mo Farah: Opening up about my tough childhood was a massive relief

Young people could soon access their pension to buy a house – but should they?

Eight easy UK autumn escapes, from seal pups in Norfolk to stargazing in Scotland

Tottenham’s all-action hero gives Frank a dream Champions League debut

Millions of women could be checked for heart disease through breast screening

Trump wants America to see him with William and Kate – but they need him too

The Morning Show is the most stupid drama on TV

The people who have lost their jobs for posts about Charlie Kirk

Photos: Activists beam Trump, Epstein images onto U.K. castle during president's visit

Zelenskyy tells Yalda: Trump, the time to act is now

Iran executes man for alleged spying for Israel, activists say he was tortured into false confession

Climate Change’s Toll in Europe This Summer: Thousands of Extra Deaths

German Suspected in Madeleine McCann Disappearance Is Set for Prison Release

Israel’s Push Into Gaza City

Charlie Kirk’s murder suspect seen in first court appearance as state seeks death penalty: Live updates

Trump UK visit live: Four arrested over Epstein images on Windsor Castle after US president lands in Britain

Democrat wins special election for seat formerly held by murdered Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman

Strip club executives accused of bribing tax auditor with lap dances to save millions: ‘The girls were very beautiful and nice’

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says it ‘takes two to tango’ over lack of progress on Putin-Zelensky talks

Migrants were locked up in temporary detention facility at Fort Bliss despite 60 violations of federal standards, inspectors find

Target expands next-day delivery service to better compete with rivals including Amazon

Fired CDC chief will testify Kennedy pressed her to endorse vaccine recommendations without evidence

Five Things: Blue Jays closing in on East title

'We cannot be bystanders': Starmer urged to raise Israel's Gaza offensive with Trump

'The hungry can't stay silent' - behind deadly protests in oil-rich Angola

Canadian writer Robert Munsch approved for assisted dying

Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink

Former students and victims of disgraced football coach sue school division

Immigration lawyer, critics raise concerns about citizenship marker on Alberta ID