Anduril to build Arsenal-1 hyperscale facility in Ohio

At full scale the Arsenal-1 facility will span 5 million square feet. Source | Anduril

Defense company Anduril (Costa Mesa, Calif., U.S.) has selected Columbus, Ohio, as the location of Arsenal-1, its first hyperscale manufacturing facility. Arsenal-1 will aid in building up the scale and speed in which the company develops its autonomous defense systems.

The company says that Ohio is an ideal location for its factory, offering robust infrastructure to support Anduril’s needs, a highly skilled and diverse manufacturing workforce, and a legacy in aerospace and defense. 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  customers. 

Featured Content

Automated Composites Knowledge Center READ MORE

Market report: Composites and carbon fiber in hydrogen storage READ MORE

Troubleshooting thermoplastic composite stamp forming READ MORE

The decision to build Arsenal-1 in Ohio follows an extensive, year-long search process that evaluated numerous locations across the U.S. and is contingent upon standard due diligence, state and local approvals of incentives, permitting and other legal and regulatory matters. Pending approvals, construction on the facility will begin immediately and the first products will be manufactured beginning in July 2026. The company is investing nearly $1 billion into the facility’s development.

“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,” says Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf.

Anduril is a defense technology company co-founded in 2017 that specializes in autonomous systems. It develops technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), creating products such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS (CUAS) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The company’s primary mission is to transform military capabilities by reducing reliance on aircraft and shipbuilding design, and increasing reliance on software engineering and computing.

One of its platform, Fury, is a multi-mission autonomous air vehicle designed for advanced combat scenarios. A “wingman” drone concept, Anduril has integrated its Lattice autonomy software, along with expertise in propulsion and composite materials, into the platform following the company’s acquisition of the jet’s original designer Blue Force Technologies acquired by Anduril in 2023.

Fury platform. 

According to Anduril, the U.S.’ defense industrial case requires the capability of producing orders of magnitude more than it is currently producing today. To support that effort, Anduril is hyperscaling its manufacturing with Arsenal OS — an integrated digital software-defined manufacturing platform that is optimized for mass design, development and production. With this tool, the Arsenal-1 facility will use a common set of commercial manufacturing tooling, machinery and processes for every type of autonomous vehicle that Anduril produces. 

At full scale, the facility will span 5 million square feet and produce tens of thousands of military systems annually. Looking ahead, with more than 500 acres available for future expansion, Arsenal-1 is primed for long-term scalability.

Anduril notes that its commitment to agile, responsive manufacturing has already been demonstrated globally. Arsenal-1 in Ohio will join Anduril’s other factories including its solid rocket motor factory in Mississippi, a robotic submarine facility in Rhode Island, the launched effects factory in Georgia, an XL-AUV factory in Australia and production facilities in California.