Counter-drone firm Anduril expands to Australia

California-based AI and networking firm Anduril has established an Australian subsidiary, Anduril Australia, located in Sydney with David Goodrich OAM as CEO and Executive Chairman.

The new subsidiary will design, develop, manufacture and market major product lines in Australia. The company plans to create engineering, science, technology and manufacturing jobs right across Australia and grow a broad network of Australian sub-contractors and suppliers, it says.

Anduril manufactures a range of counter-Unmanned Air Systems (cUAS) and other products linked by its Lattice open-architecture and AI-enabled operating system that fuses sensor data into a single common operating picture. Importantly, it uses private capital to fund much of its R&D so that it can offer complete solutions to defence customers, rather than undertake customer-funded research to develop solutions which can be a lengthy and slow process.

The company says it will pursue ADF priorities, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cost-effective unmanned systems and next-generation networked weapons. The ADF and its allies increasingly recognise that yesterday’s defence systems won’t deter or defeat tomorrow’s threats.

“The ADF has long punched above its weight and been in the vanguard of regional security in the Indo-Pacific region, a role they will be asked to play more and more in the coming decades,” sais Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf. “Australia has also embraced and deployed cutting-edge military technology – the RAAF’s Loyal Wingman program is now one of the most impressive and innovative defence programs in the world. Add to all that a rich bed of Aussie STEM talent and Australia is the perfect place for Anduril to grow.”

“Cutting edge software and the ability to field a fully networked capability is changing the battlespace,” according to David Goodrich OAM, a former civil engineer who has worked in infrastructure and corporate advisory roles for three decades, including a decade advising the Australian Department of Defence and other government agencies. “Now is the right time for the ADF and the Australian government to look at their technology development with fresh eyes.”

Founded in 2017, Anduril also has an office in the UK now employs more than 950 people with a market value of more than $6.3 billion.  few weeks ago Anduril announced its biggest-ever contract, a counter-Unmanned Air Systems (cUAS) order from US Special Operations Command worth nearly US$1billion.