Anduril Industries has achieved another significant milestone in its ambition to become a leading defense contractor in the United States, securing a contract to develop and test small unmanned fighter jet prototypes, beating out major players like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
This victory came through the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, where Anduril, along with General Atomics, was chosen as one of the awardees out of five contenders. Under this program, Anduril and General Atomics will be responsible for designing, manufacturing, and testing “production representative test articles,” as stated by the Air Force. The ultimate goal is to make a final production decision by fiscal year 2026, with fully operational aircraft expected from the selected suppliers by the end of the decade. The possibility of selecting more than one company for production aircraft delivery remains uncertain.
The potential of this contract is substantial for Anduril, as the CCA program aims to deploy at least 1,000 combat aircraft to work alongside manned platforms like the F-35, equipped to deliver their own weapons. Part of the Air Force’s broader initiative called Next Generation Air Dominance, the program seeks to modernize the entire fleet of flying systems, including piloted aircraft (where Boeing and Lockheed are still contenders for manned system contracts).
At the heart of Anduril’s success lies Fury, an autonomous air vehicle obtained through its acquisition of North Carolina-based Blue Force Technologies last year. Remarkably, Anduril transitioned from acquiring this technology to securing a significant defense contract within less than a year.
Founded seven years ago, Anduril garnered a valuation of $8.5 billion in 2022 when it closed its $1.48 billion Series E funding round, backed by investors such as Founders Fund. Palmer Luckey, the company’s well-known 31-year-old co-founder, has been vocal about challenging the traditional defense spending paradigm, aiming to develop more cost-effective assets at a faster pace.
Anduril’s Senior Vice President, Jason Levin, emphasized that their work on this program is only beginning and highlighted the importance of delivering CCAs swiftly, affordably, and at scale to counter emerging threats effectively. He expressed the company’s commitment to continuing its partnership with the U.S. Air Force to provide this critical capability to Airmen as expeditiously as possible.
