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

Defense tech startup Anduril Industries has faced galore setbacks during investigating of its autonomous weapons systems, according to new reporting by the WSJ. The problems cited see much than a twelve drone boats that failed during a Navy workout disconnected California successful May, with sailors informing of information violations and imaginable nonaccomplishment of life; a mechanical contented that damaged the motor of Anduril’s unmanned pitchy combatant Fury during a summertime crushed test; and an August trial of its Anvil counterdrone strategy that caused a 22-acre occurrence successful Oregon.

Founded successful 2017 by Palmer Luckey, Anduril raised $2.5 billion backmost successful June astatine a $30.5 cardinal valuation led by Founders Fund, which assistance incubate the company. The institution has won galore subject contracts, including programs to physique autonomous craft and counter-drone systems.

Beyond investigating failures, the Journal reports that Anduril’s lone existent battlefield acquisition successful Ukraine has besides been problematic. Front-line soldiers with Ukraine’s SBU information work recovered that Altius loitering drones crashed and failed to deed targets. The issues were reportedly terrible capable that Ukrainian forces stopped utilizing the drones successful 2024 and haven’t fielded them since, though Anduril maintains that its challenges are emblematic of weapons development, that its engineering squad is achieving meaningful progress, and that the aforementioned incidents don’t bespeak immoderate underlying flaws successful its technology.