Anduril's Arsenal-1: a 5-million-square-foot “hyperscale” factory rises in Ohio
Anduril's ~$1B Arsenal-1 in Ohio — 5M sq ft of “hyperscale” production for systems like Fury — is coming online ahead of its July 2026 target.
Anduril is building Arsenal-1, its first "hyperscale" manufacturing facility, on roughly 500 acres near Rickenbacker International Airport south of Columbus, Ohio. At full scale the plant spans more than 5 million square feet; Anduril is investing close to $1 billion of its own capital and expects to create as many as 4,000 jobs over the next decade (around 250 by the end of 2026). The centerpiece of the initial production line is the YFQ-44A Fury combat drone. Production was originally targeted for July 2026, but more recent reports indicate Arsenal-1 is opening ahead of schedule, with first jets shipping in spring 2026. Anduril frames the facility around software-defined, reconfigurable production lines intended to scale output of autonomous systems far faster than traditional defence manufacturing.
Technical Breakdown
- Type: "hyperscale" autonomous-systems manufacturing facility
- Location: ~500 acres near Rickenbacker Intl Airport, Columbus, Ohio
- Scale: 5M+ sq ft at full build; ~$1B self-funded
- Workforce: up to
4,000 jobs over a decade (250 by end of 2026) - Initial product: YFQ-44A Fury
- Timeline: July 2026 original target; reportedly online early, first jets shipping spring 2026
Industry Impact
For defence procurement, a software-defined "hyperscale" plant tests whether autonomous systems can be produced at commercial-manufacturing speed and volume. For incumbents, it challenges the legacy build-to-order model. For the region and supply chain, it concentrates advanced manufacturing and jobs in central Ohio. For investors, owning the factory — not just the designs — underpins the mass-production thesis behind Anduril's soaring valuation.