Anduril's Rise: From VR Dreamer to Trump's Favored Military Industrial Titan, Founder Luckey Invests 1 Billion in Drone Army

Palmer Luckey, who once created Oculus VR and led the virtual reality revolution, has now become an important figure in the US defense industry. Luckey's military technology company, Anduril, has been actively developing drones, AI strategic systems, and high-tech military equipment in recent years, and has made a name for itself in the US defense industry.

Luckey said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on 3/7 (WSJ) that his goal is to make the United States "the world's leading arms dealer," strengthening allies' self-defense capabilities by selling advanced weapons, thereby reducing the risk of direct casualties for the US military in overseas conflicts, a view that aligns with the Trump administration's defense strategy.

22 billion magnesium military mega deal, Anduril took over Microsoft's military AR helmet project

Anduril recently won a $2.2 billion military contract from the U.S. Army, taking over the integrated visual enhancement system IVAS originally handled by Microsoft. This military AR helmet features infrared thermal sensing, night vision, battlefield holographic maps, and is interoperable with drones and AI tactical systems, enhancing battlefield decision-making capabilities. Luckey described it as not only the beginning of significantly enhanced battlefield awareness but also the start of "human sensory enhancement" and "seamless human-machine integration."

But why did the US military abandon Microsoft and choose Anduril? Luckey believes that Microsoft has encountered problems in the past in AR military applications, such as heavy equipment, dizziness, and high costs. Anduril, on the other hand, has experience in mass-producing military equipment and Luckey himself is the "world's top head-worn display designer," thus able to provide products more in line with the needs of the US military.

From VR dreamer to military-industrial giant, and the political and business relationship with Trump and Musk

In 2016, Luckey was fired from Meta after donating to an organization opposing (Hillary Clinton), a former US Secretary of State and member of the Democratic Party. Years later, he believes that his choice at the time was right. Today, he has a closer relationship with the Trump campaign and also keeps in touch with (Elon Musk).

The outside world believes that Luckey's 'National Defense Industry Reform Vision' is highly consistent with Trump's policy direction of reducing government spending and improving military efficiency. He said that American soldiers are not fighting for the sovereignty of others, but to sell weapons to allied countries, turning them into 'hedgehogs' that enemies dare not approach.

Building drones, Anduril outbids traditional arms dealers such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing

In addition to AR military equipment, Anduril is actively developing drones, with the most representative project being the drone 'Fury', which is also part of the US Air Force's Cooperative Combat Aircraft System Program (CCA). Anduril has also successfully outperformed traditional arms dealers such as Lockheed Martin (Lockheed Martin), Boeing (Boeing), Northrop Grumman (Northrop Grumman), etc., securing large orders with the goal of producing 'thousands of drones' for the US military to counter military threats from China.

Luckey said, "Our fighter jets are not meant to replace the F-35, but to complement and ultimately fully replace traditional piloted fighter jets in the future."

The US military's strategic transformation from world police to world arsenal

Luckey believes that the United States should rethink its military role: "Instead of deploying US troops around the world, it is better to directly sell the most advanced weapons to allies and let them protect themselves."

He specifically mentioned countries such as Ukraine, Israel, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, etc., as the countries that the United States should focus on arming in the future to deter China and Russia. He even believes that the United States does not need to spend a large amount of budget to maintain a huge military presence, but should invest resources in the production of new weapons such as drones, missiles, etc., to enhance overall national defense capabilities.

This is similar to the national defense strategy of the Trump administration, which involves 'reducing traditional military spending, shifting towards technological upgrades, and increasing arms exports'.

Investing 1 billion yuan to build a drone super factory, creating 4,000 job opportunities

To meet the huge military demand, Anduril is investing nearly $1 billion to establish 'Arsenal One' drone manufacturing plant in Ohio, USA, expected to start production in mid-2026, creating 4000 job opportunities.

The core goal of this factory is to mass-produce indigenous fighter jets and new military drones to shorten the US military's supply time in war. Luckey pointed out that many military experts are currently worried that in the event of a conflict between the US and China, weapons and ammunition could be depleted within 2 weeks, so domestic production capacity must be strengthened.

The rise of Silicon Valley rightists, tech giants such as Musk and Zuckerberg re-evaluate Trump

In the past, most Silicon Valley companies had close ties with the Democratic Party. However, recent frequent interactions between Elon Musk (Elon Musk), the founder of Meta Mark Zuckerberg (Mark Zuckerberg), and the Trump camp have led to the belief that the political landscape of Silicon Valley is changing. Luckey commented, "Instead of clinging to the past, everyone is now more concerned about how to face the future reality. These tech giants will ultimately stand on the side that is most beneficial to their own companies."

He believes that this change in political stance is not only due to Trump's return, but also to the changing global situation, forcing businesses to reassess the relationship between national security and the technology industry.

(Musk's future war revelations! Talking big about AI, Neuralink, and drone battlefields, the US military needs to reform immediately)

The Rise of Anduril: From VR Dreamer to Trump's Favorite Military Giant, Founder Luckey Invests 1 Billion RMB in Building a Drone Army First Appeared on Chain News ABMedia.