Defense tech startup Anduril Industries has faced numerous setbacks during testing of its autonomous weapons systems, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal. The problems cited include more than a dozen drone boats that failed during a Navy exercise off California in May. Sailors warned of safety violations and a potential loss of life. A separate mechanical issue damaged the engine of Anduril’s unmanned jet fighter, Fury, during a summer ground test. Furthermore, an August test of its Anvil counter-drone system caused a 22-acre fire in Oregon.
Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Anduril raised 2.5 billion dollars back in June at a 30.5 billion dollar valuation led by Founders Fund, which helped incubate the company. The company has won numerous military contracts, including programs to build autonomous aircraft and counter-drone systems.
Beyond testing failures, the Journal reports that Anduril’s only real battlefield experience in Ukraine has also been problematic. Front-line soldiers with Ukraine’s SBU security service found that Altius loitering drones crashed and failed to hit targets. The issues were reportedly severe enough that Ukrainian forces stopped using the drones in 2024 and have not fielded them since. Anduril maintains that its challenges are typical of weapons development. The company states that its engineering team is achieving meaningful progress and that the aforementioned incidents do not indicate any underlying flaws in its technology.