COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just 18 months after announcing plans to build its high-scale manufacturing campus in Pickaway County, defense technology company Anduril Industries has delivered on its promise. The first Ohio-built Fury rolled off the production line at Arsenal-1 on Monday, marking a major milestone for the Columbus region’s expanding defense tech footprint.
The completion of the aircraft on July 27 fulfills the timeline set when the project was publicly unveiled on Jan. 16, 2025. In an industry where establishing new aircraft production facilities traditionally takes three to five years, Anduril and state officials managed to move from announcement to first delivery in just 557 days.
The Fury is a semi-autonomous fighter aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force. The milestone comes closely on the heels of the Air Force selecting Anduril in June to move the FQ-44 aircraft into production—a critical step toward deploying the jet into active service. In its current setup, the production line at Arsenal-1 is equipped to manufacture up to 150 aircraft each year.
Initial work on the Fury line began at Arsenal-1 in March, putting production three months ahead of the original July start target.
“Our job at One Columbus is to bring the right partners to the table and help clear the path for companies ready to make transformative investments,” said Jonas Peterson, chief economic development officer and president of One Columbus. “Securing Arsenal-1 demanded close coordination among partners across the region. The first Fury rolling off the line 557 days after the announcement shows what that alignment can deliver.”
Located near Rickenbacker International Airport with direct runway access for testing and development, Arsenal-1 is slated to expand into a 5-million-square-foot advanced manufacturing campus spanning 500 acres. Anduril has committed $910.5 million in capital investment and plans to create 4,008 production and service jobs by 2035—representing the largest single job creation project in Ohio history.
Once fully built out, the hyperscale campus is designed to produce tens of thousands of autonomous systems for the U.S. and its allies annually.
“This moment belongs to the people who spent years preparing Pickaway County for an opportunity of this scale and to the Anduril team that moved with urgency from day one,” said Pickaway County Commissioner Jay Wippel. “Arsenal-1 will create thousands of jobs, help local businesses grow, and open new career paths for people across our community.”
State leadership pointed to the milestone as proof of Ohio’s speed-to-market advantage, noting that CNBC named Ohio America’s top state for business in 2026.
“Arsenal-1 was an ambitious commitment to build faster, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen America’s defense,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Today’s milestone shows Anduril and Ohio are delivering: With initial production ahead of schedule and the first Fury complete within the original timeline, Ohio is positioned to support the next generation of advanced aerospace and defense manufacturing at scale.”
The rapid rollout reflects a broader surge in aerospace and defense development across the state. Other recent major investments include Electra’s $850 million aircraft manufacturing operation in Springfield, Joby Aviation’s ongoing expansion in Dayton, and Beehive Industries’ $70 million jet engine production expansion in Southwest Ohio.
Anduril Fury Drone Production in Pickaway County
This video report highlights Anduril’s initial announcement to launch Fury production at the Arsenal-1 facility in Pickaway County, providing useful broadcast context on the timeline and scope of the project.
