Anduril ultimately chose Ohio for Arsenal-1. The defense-technology company announced on January 16, 2025, that its planned hyperscale manufacturing facility would be built in Pickaway County, south of Columbus and near Rickenbacker International Airport. Production work reportedly began in March 2026, and the first Ohio-built YFQ-44A/Fury aircraft rolled off the line on July 27–28, 2026.
That makes the original headline—based on a November 4, 2024 report about Arizona, Ohio and Texas—historical context rather than a current site-selection update.
What the original report said
TechCrunch reported on November 4, 2024, citing an unnamed source, that Anduril was evaluating Arizona, Ohio and Texas for Arsenal-1.
The proposed facility was described as roughly 5 million square feet and intended to produce autonomous drones, aircraft, submarines and other military systems. The report followed Anduril’s announcement of a $1.5 billion Series F financing round at a reported $14 billion post-money valuation. The company said it planned to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in manufacturing, hire thousands of workers and eventually produce tens of thousands of autonomous military systems each year.
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Anduril did not confirm the three-state shortlist
Anduril disputed the characterization. According to a republication of the report, an Anduril spokesperson said, “That is incorrect.” The company did not explain which part of the account it considered incorrect.
The careful reading is that the three-state shortlist came from an unnamed source and was never publicly validated by Anduril. The denial does not establish that the company never evaluated those states, but it does mean the 2024 report should not be treated as an official finalist announcement. The broader Arsenal-1 project, however, was real—and its location was later confirmed.
Where Arsenal-1 is located
Anduril announced Ohio as the site on January 16, 2025. Arsenal-1 is in Pickaway County, in the Columbus region, near Rickenbacker International Airport—not in Columbus proper.
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The airport was cited as an advantage for testing and development because of its runway access. The site also offers a large developable area, transportation links and access to Ohio’s manufacturing and aerospace workforce.
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Anduril’s current Arsenal-1 description lists:
- More than $900 million in capital investment;
- More than 5 million square feet of manufacturing space;
- More than 4,000 projected direct jobs across Ohio; and
- $2 billion in projected annual economic output.
Other reporting has described the project as approximately a $1 billion manufacturing campus. These figures are not interchangeable: the $900 million-plus figure is Anduril’s current facility description, while the approximately $1 billion figure is a press estimate. The 4,000 jobs are a long-term projection, reportedly extending to 2035, not a current headcount. Likewise, $2 billion in projected economic output is not the same as company revenue or verified economic activity.
The state project also reportedly received a $310 million Ohio grant. That is a public incentive or grant award, not part of Anduril’s private capital investment. The figures should be considered separately from tax benefits, local infrastructure spending and any additional public support.
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What Arsenal and Arsenal-1 mean
Arsenal is Anduril’s broader manufacturing concept. Arsenal-1 is the first large physical facility intended to put that concept into practice.
Anduril describes ArsenalOS as a digital backbone connecting design, engineering, planning, production, testing and data management. Its stated goal is a factory that can shift workers, equipment, materials and capacity among different products instead of relying on a permanently fixed line for one weapon system.
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The company’s manufacturing thesis emphasizes simpler and more modular products, commercially available components where possible, a more resilient supplier base and software-enabled production. Those are Anduril’s strategic claims—not independently established proof that the model will achieve its ultimate promised production rates.
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Why Ohio was selected
Public announcements identify several apparent advantages:
- A large manufacturing, engineering and technician workforce;
- Existing industrial and aerospace infrastructure;
- Access to Rickenbacker International Airport;
- Ohio’s established defense and aerospace manufacturing base;
- State and local support; and
- Enough land for a facility designed to expand and support multiple programs.
Arizona offered a strong aerospace and defense presence, while Texas offered a large industrial footprint and significant aerospace activity. Both states could also bring substantial labor-market competition, and Arizona faces additional questions around water availability and extreme heat. Those are general site-selection considerations, not documented rankings from Anduril. No public scorecard shows precisely how Ohio beat Arizona or Texas.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Arsenal-1 is producing
The first major platform associated with the facility is Anduril’s YFQ-44A, a missionized version of its Fury autonomous combat aircraft, for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Anduril has identified the YFQ-44A as an early Arsenal-1 program in its flight-testing announcement.
Defense News reported that Fury, Roadrunner, Barracuda and a classified platform were expected to be produced there by the end of 2026. That should not be treated as a complete official product list. Anduril has also said that Barracuda variants will eventually move into Arsenal-1 from a Southern California facility to expand capacity.
Arsenal-1 timeline
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| November 4, 2024 | A report says Anduril is evaluating Arizona, Ohio and Texas. |
| January 16, 2025 | Anduril and Ohio officials announce the Pickaway County site. |
| March 2026 | Production work reportedly begins at Arsenal-1. |
| July 27–28, 2026 | The first Ohio-built YFQ-44A/Fury aircraft rolls off the production line. |
| August 18, 2026 | Current status: Ohio is the confirmed site and the facility is producing hardware. |
What the first aircraft does—and does not—show
The first YFQ-44A demonstrates that Arsenal-1 has moved beyond a proposed facility and into operational production. It does not prove that the entire 5-million-square-foot campus is complete, that the factory has reached full-rate production or that Anduril is already producing tens of thousands of systems annually.
Arsenal-1 is also not synonymous with all Anduril manufacturing. The company continues to operate a broader network of facilities, and production may remain distributed across multiple locations. The Ohio campus is best understood as a phased, flexible manufacturing hub.
Quick Recap
What remains unknown
- The facility’s final completed footprint and build-out schedule;
- Arsenal-1’s current employee count;
- Its mature annual production rate;
- The complete long-term product mix;
- How much of the projected $2 billion annual output has materialized; and
- Whether Anduril will build additional Arsenal facilities elsewhere.
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