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Anduril's Autonomy Troubles: Setbacks in US Military Drone Tests

Anduril, the high-profile American defense technology startup, has encountered a series of setbacks in testing its autonomous military systems, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The revelations raise questions about the company's ability to deliver on its ambitious plans.

The issues appear to span Anduril's product portfolio. In one recent exercise in California, the company's autonomous vessels experienced failures, the Journal reported. Anduril has also grappled with problems in the past, including a fire caused by its Anvi anti-drone system in Oregon and a mechanical failure that grounded its Fury drone.

Perhaps most concerning, Anduril's technology has seemingly underperformed on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the company's drones have struggled to reliably hit targets, leading the Ukrainian military to stop using them in 2024. This comes as a blow, given Ukraine has been a key proving ground for Western military technology.

Anduril's leadership has sought to downplay the setbacks, framing them as normal growing pains for an innovative defense firm. "We are a company that takes on hard technical challenges and we have a culture that embraces failure as a necessary part of innovation," a spokesperson told the Journal.

However, the revelations come at a sensitive time for Anduril. In June, the company closed a mammoth $2.5 billion Series G funding round, valuing it at $30.5 billion and cementing its status as one of the most valuable private startups in the US. Investors will be watching closely to see if Anduril can translate its technical ambitions into reliable, battlefield-ready products.

The performance issues also raise broader questions about the maturity of autonomous military systems, which have been touted as a key advantage against adversaries like China and Russia. While the technology holds immense promise, it appears there is still work to be done before it can be trusted with high-stakes combat operations.

As Anduril navigates these challenges, it will need to demonstrate that it can overcome the technical hurdles and deliver on its vision of revolutionizing modern warfare through advanced autonomous platforms. The stakes are high, both for the company and the US military's modernization efforts.