Trump Administration and Anduril Industries Announce Software-Defined Shipyard for Navy Submarines
The Trump administration, in collaboration with Anduril Industries, disclosed plans on Tuesday for a pioneering “software-defined” shipyard destined to fabricate attack submarines for the United States Navy.
This initiative aligns with the Navy’s ambition to amplify its undersea capabilities, a move considered vital amidst rising tensions with China in the Pacific. Concurrently, President Donald Trump aspires to fortify domestic manufacturing.
The Navy has entrusted Anduril with a contract valued at up to $2.9 billion to facilitate this endeavor, as articulated in a press release from the company.
In tandem with this, Anduril intends to inject $3.7 billion of its own capital to establish the facility, enhance its workforce, and incorporate advanced technologies and additional functionalities requisite for the undertaking.
“The United States Navy, alongside Anduril Industries, will invest $6.6 billion to erect a new facility in Baltimore County, Maryland, dedicated to manufacturing essential components for the Virginia-class submarine.
This initiative fulfills President Trump’s commitment to reinforcing America’s defense industrial foundation while rejuvenating our manufacturing sector, engendering over 13,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, and generating $2 billion in annual economic output,” stated White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.
The facility, aptly named Arsenal-2, is set to be built within Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County.
Permitting and site preparation will commence forthwith, with construction anticipated to begin once the necessary approvals are acquired.
Initial operations are projected to initiate in 2030, with production expected to scale progressively as Anduril develops the workforce, supply chain, infrastructure, and manufacturing throughput necessary for submarine construction, Anduril indicated in its press release Tuesday.
Arsenal-2 is expected to encompass 187 acres and exceed 2 million square feet, and is characterized as a “modern shipbuilding system constructed around software-defined production and advanced manufacturing.”
Anduril’s proprietary industrial software platform, ArsenalOS, will function as the “digital backbone” for the facility and its production systems, according to the press release.
It will integrate fabrication workflows, outfitting sequences, material handling, inspection protocols, and documentation requirements into a singular system, affording workers and managers real-time insights into production status.
Digital work instructions, embedded quality controls, modern sensing, and automation will bolster the expertise of welders, pipefitters, electricians, shipfitters, inspectors, and other skilled trades.
By enhancing visibility into production needs and standardizing processes, ArsenalOS will expedite training for new personnel while preserving the technical precision, judgment, and quality essential for submarine construction, the release elaborated.
The facility will fabricate components of the Virginia-class submarine, which will then be dispatched to Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding for final assembly.
Although Anduril has garnered recognition primarily for its state-of-the-art drones and AI-driven software solutions, the company is ambitiously venturing into the manned submarine sector.
Chris Brose, Anduril’s president and chief strategy officer, emphasized the significance of the Virginia-class submarine program, remarking, “It represents one of the most crucial warfighting assets at our nation’s disposal.”
He asserted, This is an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how a shipyard is organized and how this work is executed.
Through extensive discussions with the administration and Navy over the past two years, it became evident that there is an urgent necessity for increased production capacity.
Our objective at Anduril is to contribute to expanding the maritime and submarine industrial bases, enabling the production of more submarines.”
Brose also lauded the company’s digital tools as instrumental in enhancing shipbuilding operations.
It’s not an issue of our capability to work with steel here in America; we have exceptional talent in that arena.
The challenge is effectively harnessing the ongoing manufacturing innovations seen in commercial aerospace and various other industries by integrating software and digital technologies, thereby reimagining workflow.
We aim to decompose complex tasks performed by skilled labor into more manageable segments that enable a broader workforce to contribute swiftly, ultimately ramping up production capacity, he stated.
Ahead of Arsenal-2’s commencement, the company is establishing a facility in Orange County, California.
“We have initiated investments, establishing a facility in California to commence work on relatively straightforward components—such as torpedo tubes—that the industrial base urgently requires,” Brose explained.
Our goal is to facilitate the production of these critical systems, and as Arsenal-2 materializes in Baltimore, gradually transition to larger modules and ship sections.
This effort will be in collaboration with our traditional shipbuilders, who are remarkable partners and craftsmen of these systems, now seeking assistance to scale capacity.
A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity during Tuesday’s call, noted that the Baltimore County shipyard could yield approximately 9 million labor hours annually.
“This increase could equate to around a 15% boost,” the official elaborated. In terms of capacity, this expansion will undoubtedly translate into heightened production of Virginia-class submarines.
Specifically, regarding torpedo tubes, considered a critical component, acquiring these sooner will enable expedited production of Virginia submarines currently under construction.
The official further noted, “The facility will commence with these vital components, verifying their quality standards and safety for operating with human crews, before progressing to increasingly sophisticated assemblies that will further enhance our production capabilities as the shipyard develops.”
During the Tuesday visit to the prospective shipyard site, President Donald Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the concept of “autonomous” submarines.
“I am intrigued by the idea of autonomous subs,” Trump remarked. It resonates with me because I wouldn’t have the audacity to navigate submarines too frequently. While others might revel in it, I prefer the openness of the sea.
An autonomous sub would operate independently yet with unwavering accuracy. The advancements we are pioneering over the next five years are remarkable.
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