Defense technology startup Anduril Industries has faced numerous setbacks while testing its autonomous weapon systems, according to a new WSJ report. Issues cited include more than a dozen drones that crashed during a Navy exercise off the coast of California in May, with sailors warning of safety violations and potential loss of life; a mechanical problem that damaged the engine of Anduril’s Fury unmanned jet fighter during a summer ground test; and an August test of its Anvil counter-drone system that caused a 22-acre fire in Oregon.
Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Anduril raised $2.5 billion last June at a valuation of $30.5 billion led by Founders Fund, which helps incubate the company. The company has won numerous military contracts, including programs to build autonomous aircraft and counter-drone systems.
Beyond the test failures, the Journal reports that Anduril’s only real battlefield experience in Ukraine was also problematic. Frontline soldiers of Ukraine’s SBU security service discovered that errant Altius drones had crashed and failed to hit their targets. The problems were reportedly severe enough that Ukrainian forces stopped using the drones in 2024 and have not deployed them since, although Anduril maintains that its challenges are typical of weapons development, that its engineering team is making significant progress, and that the aforementioned incidents do not indicate any underlying flaws in its technology.
