Don't Count on Military Tech to Save the West

Anduril Industries is an American defense technology company recognized for its revolutionary approach to developing military technology. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey and other co-founders, the company differentiates itself from traditional defense contractors by proactively developing and building advanced hardware and AI-driven software solutions in anticipation of future military needs, rather than solely responding to government requests.

 

Key aspects of Anduril's revolutionary approach include:

 

    Focus on AI and autonomous systems: Anduril leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence, computer vision, and autonomous systems to create advanced defense solutions, including:

        Lattice AI Platform: This platform integrates various sensors, cameras, drones, and other systems to provide a real-time, unified view of the battlefield, facilitating faster and more informed decision-making.

        Autonomous Air Vehicles (AAVs): Anduril develops various AAVs like Ghost, ALTIUS, and Fury for surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat missions, according to Louisiana Tech University.

        Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs): Anduril is expanding its reach into undersea warfare with vehicles like Dive-LD and Ghost Shark, designed for tasks such as surveillance, mine detection, and anti-submarine warfare.

    Emphasis on rapid development and iteration: Unlike traditional defense contractors known for slower development cycles, Anduril adopts a Silicon Valley-style approach, delivering solutions in months rather than years.

    Integrated Solutions: Anduril focuses on delivering integrated solutions that seamlessly combine unmanned systems, AI, and surveillance platforms, providing comprehensive situational awareness.

    Cost-Effectiveness: Anduril aims to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions, offering a more efficient alternative to expensive legacy systems.

 

Anduril's impact on military technology is seen in:

 

    Securing contracts and partnerships: Anduril has secured key contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is collaborating with allies like the UK and Australia.

    Revolutionizing border security: Anduril's Lattice platform, coupled with Sentry Towers, has been deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, enhancing surveillance and threat detection capabilities.

    Advancing counter-drone technologies: Anduril's counter-UAS (CUAS) systems, such as the Anvil, are designed to detect, track, and intercept unmanned aircraft and autonomous drone systems.

    Pioneering next-generation combat systems: Anduril is involved in programs like the Advanced Battle Management System and Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), contributing to the development of interconnected and autonomous battlefield management systems.

    Hyperscale Production: Anduril is investing in manufacturing facilities like Arsenal-1, aiming to produce tens of thousands of autonomous military systems annually, addressing the need for rapid deployment and scalability.

 

Anduril's success and rapid growth suggest a potential shift in the defense industry, with a greater emphasis on agility, technological innovation, and a proactive approach to developing military capabilities. However, the company also faces challenges from established competitors with deeper resources and existing government relationships.

 

Both Anduril and China's military are heavily invested in developing and deploying advanced military technologies, particularly in the areas of AI, autonomous systems, and counter-drone capabilities. While Anduril's focus is on rapid iteration, multi-domain solutions, and cUAS systems, China is pursuing a broader range of AI applications for intelligence, command and control, and combat robots, aiming to become a world-class military force. Anduril doesn't have the industrial power to produce the kit in amounts needed in a real conflict with China.

“In her interview with Anduril's president, Christian Brose ("The Coming Revolution in Military Tech," Weekend Interview, July 19), Kate Odell writes that "new technology is changing the geometry of the battlefield." Mr. Brose adds that "our conception of military power . . . is just systematically wrong."

 

Anduril is providing revolutionary military technology, largely consisting of unmanned, relatively cheap and in some cases reusable weapons systems for the Pentagon. Much of Mr. Brose's unconventional thinking is reflected in his excellent book "The Kill Chain" (2020), and much of his focus is on the tactical level of war.

 

But before we completely embrace this fascinating technology, it is critical to understand that technology without a strategy is as dangerous as a strategy without technology. What is missing is an overarching vision and its aims for how and where Anduril's systems will fit, the operational construct for using them and understanding how each would be employed tactically in battle.

 

China and Russia are foundational for determining America's military strategy. Technology alone, however, won't be sufficient to counter the military power of both. In the 1940 Battle of France, British and French technology was superior to the Nazis' successful Blitzkrieg, but Germany still won that fight. Dominant American military technology wasn't able to defeat the guerrilla warfare of North Vietnam and the Taliban decades later.

 

Mr. Brose is correct that in many ways the U.S. is building the wrong force structure with systems that take too long to procure and that are too expensive and difficult to scale. Integrating new technology into the Pentagon is never simple. Yet without a strategic, operational and tactical roadmap to evaluate the effectiveness and affordability of Anduril's systems, don't count on new technology, no matter how breathtaking, to be a remedy.

 

Harlan Ullman

 

Atlantic Council

 

Washington" [1]

 

1.  Don't Count on Military Tech to Save the West. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 09 Aug 2025: A12.