The Columbus, OH, suburb of Ashville is home to just around 4,600 residents, but a new drone manufacturing complex could employ nearly that many people within the next decade. Current plans call for Anduril’s Arsenal-1 manufacturing complex to have 250 workers by the end of this year, with significant growth by 2035.
Progress is already underway.
Aerospace and defense contractor Anduril had only announced in early 2025 that it would be building Arsenal-1 in Pickaway County, Ohio, “the first defense manufacturing facility of its kind.” The firm confirmed in January of this year that construction on Building 1 was already underway and will encompass 775,000 square feet of production space and 120,000 additional square feet of office and support space.
Ground was broken on Building 2 (924,000+ sq ft) last summer, and internal construction is also continuing. By 2035, the facility will expand with additional manufacturing and warehouse buildings, a centralized hub, a substation, facilities operations buildings, roadwork, and a campus amenities building. Anduril has confirmed that it will be a slow rollout, with the facility expanding in a carefully planned, or “staggered cadence,” cadence that will allow it to scale intentionally while staying aligned with production demands.
Building the U.S. Air Force’s Loyal Wingman
The facility in the Buckeye State will manufacture the YFQ-44A, one of the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) developed for the United States Air Force’s ongoing Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, a subcomponent of the larger Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project.
Last year, Boeing was awarded the contract to develop the F-47, the manned sixth-generation multirole air superiority fighter, and Anduril’s YFQ-44A “Fury” will serve as a loyal wingman and force multiplier for the manned aircraft.
“Through its focus on autonomy and affordable mass, the CCA program is driving a paradigm shift in how the United States will employ and project combat airpower this decade and beyond,” the company explained earlier this year.
Epic Fury – Speed Is The Key
Anduril has stated that efforts will be made to accelerate the production of the CCA, as the U.S. Air Force has called for thousands of the drones to support the F-47 and other existing fifth-generation fighters, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The YFQ-44A could also serve as a support aircraft for the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
The UAS was designed to fly at speeds up to Mach 0.95 and at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
In addition to the drone’s speed, Anduril has stated that Arsenal-1 will serve as a “hyperscale” production facility, with plans to produce the YFQ-44A at scale starting in 2026.
“That timeline is extremely aggressive in comparison to every other fighter aircraft program in recent history,” the company added.
It also noted that Ohio has been ahead of the rest of the country in pushing the boundaries of aviation.
“We see no reason to halt that tradition with YFQ-44A. We will begin production of YFQ-44A in Arsenal-1’s Building 1 by Q2,” Anduril added.
Progress continues to be made.
“We’re both ahead of schedule and under budget on the project, which is a rarity in the defense business,” Matthew Grimm, co-founder and chief operating officer at Anduril, told WSYX news. “It’s exactly the place that has a long history of this kind of manufacturing, this type of assembly, this type of skill set.”
Anduril is also seeking to mitigate supply chain issues, in part, by using 90% of its products to be made with commercially available components and materials. To further streamline the production process, the aerospace firm has forged partnerships with other manufacturers.
“We’re even investing in some upstream suppliers, such as mines and refineries, to be able to generate the raw materials that we need to supply those suppliers,” added Grimm.
Beyond the Fury
YFQ-44A will be the first capability the company builds at Arsenal-1, but it will be far from the last. Multiple programs will move production to Arsenal-1 over the next 12 months as we continue the site’s buildout.
Over the next several months, Arsenal-1 will continue advancing construction across the initial facilities, expand hiring and training of Ohio-based employees, and then stand up manufacturing systems and production operations.
“Arsenal-1 is a long-term investment in American manufacturing capacity and Ohio’s workforce,” the company further noted. “As work continues, Anduril remains committed to building and sustaining the industrial capabilities required for the next generation of defense systems.”
The firm is also looking to employ technology and workers from the commercial airline and automotive sectors. Their experience could easily translate into drone production at the facility.
“It decreases the amount of time from when we hire an employee to when they’re useful on the production line,” said Grimm. “There’s a broader technology base, and then the ramp into being able to produce is a lot smoother and a lot faster.”
