Startup Anduril becomes third U.S. SRM supplier amid rising defense demand
Rising geopolitical tensions — including the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East — have fueled a global surge in demand for munitions, prompting militaries to replenish and expand their stockpiles. Until now, only L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N), opens new tab and Northrop Grumman (NOC.N), opens new tab have manufactured SRMs at scale in the U.S.
Anduril said it has opened a full-rate SRM manufacturing facility in McHenry, Mississippi, which now employs more than 100 workers, up from 40 in early 2024. The company has already test-fired over 700 motors and aims to produce 6,000 tactical motors annually by the end of 2026.
The $75 million site incorporates automation and digital systems to streamline rocket motor production, a process the company says has seen minimal innovation over the years.
The company is using a bladeless high-speed mixer and a custom aluminum-lithium fuel blend, it claims can improve missile range by up to 40%.
Anduril, best known for its autonomous drones and AI-driven defense systems, was recently selected by the U.S. Army to develop a new 4.75-inch SRM for long-range precision artillery.
In June, Anduril had raised $2.5 billion, giving it a valuation of $30.5 billion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Reuters
China wants US to relax AI chip-export controls for trade deal, FT reports
Aug 10 (Reuters) - China wants the United States to ease export controls on chips critical for artificial intelligence as part of a trade deal before a possible summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Chinese officials have told experts in Washington that Beijing wants the Trump administration to relax export restrictions on high-bandwidth memory chips, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The White House, State Department and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. HBM chips, which help perform data-intensive AI tasks quickly, are closely watched by investors due to their use alongside AI graphic processors, particularly Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab. The FT said China is concerned because the U.S. HBM controls hamper the ability of Chinese companies such as Huawei to develop their own AI chips. Successive U.S. administrations have curbed exports of advanced chips to China, looking to stymie Beijing's AI and defence development. While this has impacted U.S. firms' ability to fully address booming demand from China, one of the world's largest semiconductor markets, it still remains an important revenue driver for American chipmakers.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Reuters
China wants US to relax chip-export controls as part of trade deal, FT reports
Aug 10 (Reuters) - China wants the United States to ease export controls on a critical component for artificial intelligence chips as part of a trade deal ahead of a possible summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Times
2 days ago
- Times
A machine took my tech job, so I became blue collar
For eight years, the most physical work Tabby Toney Douglass did was to move a cursor around a screen. Three months ago, she swapped her mouse for a welding gun and a fire-resistant jacket. Douglass is one of nearly 250,000 tech workers who have been laid off in the United States since the start of last year. Artificial intelligence and cost-cutting are wreaking havoc in an industry previously considered best equipped to cope with technological advancement. Software engineers, whose area of study was once seen as a sure-fire path to a reliable six-figure income, have been particularly affected. Instead of trying to stay in the industry, Douglass decided to follow her creative passion: welding. She is not alone. Many former tech workers are turning to traditional blue-collar jobs as a fallback option. The Times spoke to three of them.
