# U.S. Air Force Awards Anduril Drone Production Contract

The U.S. Air Force awarded Anduril Industries a major production contract in June 2026 for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, advancing the FQ-44 autonomous "Loyal Wingman" fighter drones from prototype to high-rate serial manufacturing. Production is underway at Anduril's Arsenal-1 facility in Columbus, Ohio, with plans to field over 150 units by the end of the decade. This contract marks a rapid transition to operational capability for AI-enabled, semi-autonomous combat aircraft and reflects the Air Force's strategic investment in unmanned aerial systems to enhance combat readiness and allied production capacity, including expansion efforts in Australia.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals should note the accelerated timeline from prototype to production, signaling increased demand for autonomous drone manufacturing and related defense technologies.
- The contract highlights opportunities for defense contractors specializing in AI-enabled unmanned systems and software-defined combat platforms.
- The Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio is a key manufacturing hub, with significant job creation and investment impacting regional industrial capacity.
- Companies should evaluate potential subcontracting or partnership opportunities as the Air Force expands its unmanned combat aircraft fleet under the CCA program.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** June 25, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)
- State of Ohio

### Vendors
- Anduril Industries (prime contractor)

### Key Quotes
> By moving fast from competitive selection into full-scale manufacturing, we position ourselves to field highly credible and combat-ready semi-autonomous systems to stay ahead of the pacing challenge.
> — Troy Meink, Air Force Secretary

> I think the fastest fighter jet program since the 1950s, like this is just an immensely fast pace, and I think it shows that the government can move when it wants to, and then industry can respond to that pace.
> — Brian Schimpf, CEO

> The $900 million campus represents the largest single job creation and new payroll project in Ohio history.
> — Mike DeWine, Governor

### Sources
- [Defense leader Anduril Industries has secured a major production contract from the U.S. Air Force for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, moving its FQ-44 autonomous drone fleet into high-rate serial manufacturing. https://t.co/3fRZmoACgG #Anduril #USAF #Aut](https://x.com/orbital_station/status/2070130640037515758) - twitter-defense
- [Anduril lands first Air Force production contract for Fury fighter drones https://t.co/d1syED9NRU via @DispatchAlerts](https://x.com/OHCircuitRider/status/2067697950134784348) - twitter-defense
- [Anduril lands first Air Force production contract for Fury fighter drones https://t.co/d1syEDalHs via @DispatchAlerts](https://x.com/OHCircuitRider/status/2067700085941846454) - twitter-defense