Inside Anduril’s Arsenal-1 near Columbus as initial production lines prepare to start in coming weeks
A major defense-manufacturing buildout in central Ohio reaches an early operational milestone
Anduril Industries’ Arsenal-1 project in Pickaway County—an advanced manufacturing campus planned near Rickenbacker International Airport southeast of Columbus—is entering a new phase, with the company indicating that the first production lines are expected to begin operating within weeks. The early startup comes ahead of earlier public timelines that pointed to mid-2026 for initial production.
Arsenal-1 has been described by public officials and the company as a long-term, large-scale manufacturing effort intended to expand U.S. capacity to build autonomous systems, including military drones and autonomous air vehicles. Plans for the site outline a buildout to roughly 5 million square feet on approximately 500 acres, designed to scale output over time as additional buildings, equipment, and staffing come online.
What is known about the facility’s footprint and phased ramp-up
Project details released in Ohio incentive agreements and related public announcements set out a multi-stage approach: an initial operating footprint is expected to precede the full hyperscale campus, with additional construction and fit-out extending over years. Recent updates about readiness at the site have referenced a first main building around 1 million square feet and exterior work underway on a second building—signals consistent with a phased commissioning process rather than a single opening date.
The project’s location near Rickenbacker reflects a broader industrial pattern around the air cargo hub, where access to runways, logistics corridors, and developable land has attracted large distribution and advanced-manufacturing investments.
Public incentives and employment commitments
Ohio’s economic development agreements tie public support to job creation, payroll, and capital investment benchmarks. Under a 30-year arrangement announced in 2025, Anduril committed to create 4,008 new jobs and more than $530 million in new payroll, and to reach at least $910.5 million in capital investment over a 10-year period, with commitments required to be maintained for the remainder of the agreement term. The state-backed package includes a $310 million grant structure tied to performance conditions over time.
- Committed direct jobs: 4,008
- Committed new payroll: more than $530 million
- Committed capital investment: at least $910.5 million over 10 years
- Stated facility scale target: about 5 million square feet on roughly 500 acres
How the timeline now appears to be shifting
Earlier planning documents and public statements associated with the incentive approvals referenced July 2026 as an expected production start. The more recent indication that production lines could start within weeks suggests the earliest manufacturing activity may begin on a limited number of lines while the broader campus remains under construction and commissioning.
In large industrial projects, “start of production” can refer to an initial subset of lines becoming operational while hiring, supplier qualification, equipment installation, and additional building completions continue in parallel.
For central Ohio, the near-term question is how quickly the plant’s early operations translate into sustained hiring, local supplier contracts, and measurable output—benchmarks that will be tracked over years under the structure of the state’s performance-based agreements.