COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — U.S. defense contractor Anduril Industries is preparing to build a massive modern manufacturing facility in central Ohio that is expected to add 4,000 jobs to the region’s emerging high-tech sector, state officials announced Thursday.
The Cosa Mesa, California-based defense technology company plans to begin building what it calls “Arsenal 1” once state and local approvals are received. The 5 million square foot (464,515 square meter) facility will be built on a 500-acre (202 hectare) site near Rickenbacker International Airport in rural Pickaway County, about 16 miles (26 kilometers) southeast of Columbus.
According to the plan, production of military drones and autonomous aircraft should begin in July 2026, said Christian Brose, Anduril’s chief strategy officer.
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said it was the largest single job creation and payroll project Ohio has announced. The governor said winning the Anduril manufacturing facility is a continuation of Ohio’s history of advanced aviation, which began with the Ohio-born Wright brothers and continues to grow around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Dayton area.
“We are an aerospace state,” DeWine said. He called Ohio “the brains of the Air Force.”
DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted and JobsOhio CEO JP Nauseef said the state has a sturdy and diverse workforce in the aerospace industry through targeted economic development efforts. They said it also has a network of vocational training centers, colleges and universities prepared to train modern advanced manufacturing workers. These helped attract the nationally competitive deal, they said.
“Ohio has literally developed a strategy for this type of project, and that makes us perfect for them,” Husted said.
Ohio’s aerospace sector includes GE Aerospace’s global headquarters and a modern Joby Aviation manufacturing facility near Dayton that is preparing to produce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft starting this year.
Anduril views the Ohio facility as an integral part of its goal to “rebuild” the arsenal of U.S. military weapons and platforms by “hyper-scaling” manufacturing with advanced software and production technologies.
The latest development adds to what is becoming known as the Ohio-based “silicon corridor.” They include Intel, which is building a $20 billion chip factory east of Columbus, and South Korea’s Honda and LG Energy Solution, which is building a $3.5 billion battery plant in nearby Fayette County that the automaker is calling its North American one Electric vehicle aims for hub. Ohio State University also announced plans to build a $110 million software innovation center in 2023 to coincide with these efforts.
At separate upcoming state meetings, the Anduril project will seek a job creation tax credit from the Ohio Department of Development and a $70 million donation from the All Ohio Future Fund, which the DeWine administration and lawmakers established to support local governments to support the preparation of locations for economic development projects. JobsOhio also plans to provide the project with a significant grant, the exact amount of which will be announced after the agreements are signed, as well as provide talent acquisition services.
