Anduril’s autonomous weapons stumble in tests and combat, WSJ reports

Anduril Industries, a defense technology startup, has encountered significant difficulties in the testing of its autonomous weaponry, as highlighted by recent reports. During a Navy exercise off the coast of California in May, over a dozen drone boats malfunctioned, prompting concerns from sailors regarding safety breaches and the potential for loss of life. In addition to these drone boat issues, a mechanical failure during a ground test in summer severely damaged the engine of Anduril's unmanned jet fighter, known as Fury. Furthermore, a test of the Anvil counter-drone system in August resulted in a large 22-acre fire in Oregon, raising serious safety and operational questions. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Anduril has attracted significant investment, securing $2.5 billion in funding earlier this year, which elevated its valuation to $30.5 billion, primarily supported by Founders Fund. The company has been awarded numerous military contracts aimed at developing autonomous aircraft and counter-drone systems. However, the problems extend beyond testing failures. Reports indicate that Anduril's operational experience in real combat, specifically in Ukraine, has also been less than satisfactory. Ukrainian soldiers from the SBU security service reported that the Altius loitering drones frequently crashed and were unable to hit their intended targets. These performance issues were serious enough for Ukrainian forces to cease using the drones in 2024, and they have not deployed them since. Despite these setbacks, Anduril asserts that such challenges are commonplace in weapon development, claiming that its engineering team is making substantial advancements and that the incidents do not reflect any inherent flaws in its technology.