Anduril Industries, a defense technology startup valued at over $30 billion, has encountered significant operational issues with its autonomous weapons systems, including multiple failures during military testing and limited battlefield success in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company’s drone boats, unmanned fighter jets, and counterdrone systems have experienced breakdowns, malfunctions, and even caused collateral damage during trials.
Testing Setbacks and Safety Concerns
In May, over a dozen of Anduril’s drone boats failed during a Navy exercise off the California coast. According to the Journal, sailors raised safety concerns, warning that the failures could lead to casualties. Later in the summer, a mechanical failure damaged the engine of Anduril’s Fury unmanned jet fighter during ground testing. Most dramatically, an August test of Anduril’s Anvil counterdrone system triggered a 22-acre wildfire in Oregon.
These failures raise questions about the reliability of Anduril’s technology, especially given its rapid deployment into real-world military programs. The company was founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, and has since secured $2.5 billion in funding, including a recent round led by Founders Fund. Despite the setbacks, Anduril continues to win military contracts for autonomous aircraft and counterdrone systems.
Poor Performance in Ukraine
The only documented combat experience for Anduril’s weapons came from Ukraine’s SBU security service, which tested the Altius loitering drone in 2024. According to the Journal, Ukrainian forces found the drones unreliable, with frequent crashes and missed targets. The problems were severe enough that Ukraine stopped using the Altius drones entirely later in the same year.
Anduril maintains that these challenges are normal during weapons development and that its engineering team is making progress. The company insists that the incidents don’t point to fundamental flaws in its technology. However, the failures suggest that deploying autonomous weapons systems into combat environments before rigorous testing may be premature.
Conclusion: Despite securing substantial funding and military contracts, Anduril’s autonomous weapons have demonstrated significant technical issues in both testing and real-world deployment. The company’s rapid growth and reliance on untested technologies may pose risks to military operations and safety standards.
