Anduril and the Rise of AI-Defined Defense Infrastructure

Source: www.anduril.com

From Silicon Valley to the Tactical Edge

Anduril Industries is a U.S.-based defense technology company building AI-powered systems for national security. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey (Oculus VR), along with former Palantir and Founders Fund leadership, Anduril is redefining defense contracting by acting as a vertically integrated product company — building, funding, and fielding technology before the government asks for it.

Software-Defined Warfare

Anduril’s core platform is Lattice OS, a real-time AI command & control system designed for autonomous decision-making across land, sea, air, and space. Lattice:

• Orchestrates machine-to-machine kill chains

• Integrates thousands of sensors and autonomous assets

• Scales across domains and partner systems (open ecosystem)

• Powers missions with machine-speed responsiveness

  
  

This backbone supports systems like autonomous aircraft (Bolt, Ghost, Fury), undersea drones (Dive-LD), and AI-guided mission autonomy — enabling a single operator to control multi-domain assets.

Government-First, Startup-Fast

Anduril serves the U.S. Department of Defense, DHS, Australian Defence Force, UK MOD, and allied militaries globally. Unlike traditional primes, Anduril is known for speed-to-deployment, often fielding systems in months — not years — and handling full-stack development from chip to software.

Market Context

The U.S. remains the largest global defense spender, with its aerospace & defense market projected to grow from $496.6B (2024) to $656.9B by 2029 at a CAGR of 5.76%. The convergence of AI, autonomy, and geopolitical tension is fueling demand for adaptive, software-driven systems — a category where Anduril leads.

Competitors and peers include Shield AI, Skydio, Epirus, Saildrone, Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics, with Anduril operating across air, land, sea, and space as shown in the market landscape map on page 11.

Strategic Signal

Anduril signals a shift from hardware-centric primes to software-native defense tech. With its proprietary stack, battlefield integration experience, and independent R&D model, the company embodies a new archetype for dual-use defense innovation: venture-backed, software-led, and globally operational.

Further Reading

👉 Review the full Anduril presentation (link to uploaded deck) for insights on product lines, government partnerships, and the evolving national security tech stack.

Axis Group Ventures continues to track the defense-tech transformation as mission-critical infrastructure becomes increasingly AI-driven.