Anduril Fighter Jets: Palmer Luckey’s Vision Takes Flight in Long Beach
What if fighter jets could roll off the assembly line and fly directly into combat—no transport, no delays, just mission-ready autonomy? That’s the future Palmer Luckey envisions as Anduril announces a massive expansion in Long Beach, California. The defense tech firm plans to build a 1.18-million-square-foot campus dedicated to developing and manufacturing next-generation autonomous systems, including fighter jets that may one day take off from the factory floor and head straight to the battlefield. With 5,500 new jobs on the horizon and a mid-2027 completion target, this move signals a major leap in U.S. defense innovation—and puts Luckey’s hometown at the heart of it.
Credit: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg / Getty ImagesWhy Long Beach? A Strategic Homecoming for Anduril
For Palmer Luckey, Long Beach isn’t just any coastal city—it’s where he grew up. But beyond personal ties, the location makes strategic sense. “Long Beach is a major aerospace hub right in our backyard,” Luckey told reporters, highlighting the region’s deep roots in aviation and defense manufacturing. The city already hosts key players in aerospace logistics, engineering talent, and supply chain infrastructure—making it an ideal launchpad for Anduril’s most ambitious project yet.
The new campus will span six buildings blending office, R&D, and industrial space. Unlike satellite offices that handle administrative tasks, this facility will be a full-cycle production nerve center—where engineers design, technicians assemble, and autonomous systems undergo real-world testing before deployment. This vertical integration is central to Anduril’s philosophy: control the entire stack, from software to hardware, to deliver faster, smarter defense solutions.
Inside the Plan: 5,500 Jobs and a New Era of Defense Work
Anduril’s Long Beach expansion isn’t just about scale—it’s about reshaping who gets to build tomorrow’s defense technology. The company plans to hire 5,500 new employees, not by relocating existing staff but by tapping into Southern California’s diverse talent pool. Roles will span across disciplines: electrical and mechanical engineers, aerodynamics specialists, manufacturing technicians, logistics coordinators, and test operators.
Notably, many of these positions won’t require traditional defense industry backgrounds. Anduril has long championed hiring from non-traditional sectors—like gaming, consumer electronics, and software startups—valuing agility and innovation over legacy credentials. This approach aligns with broader 2026 workforce trends, where technical fluency and rapid prototyping matter more than decades-old institutional knowledge.
For local residents, the economic impact could be transformative. Long Beach, while historically tied to aerospace, has seen shifts in its industrial base over recent decades. Anduril’s investment promises high-wage jobs in advanced manufacturing and AI-driven systems—sectors poised for long-term growth even amid global defense budget fluctuations.
The Real Game-Changer: Autonomous Fighter Jets That Fly Themselves
While job creation dominates headlines, Luckey’s eyes are fixed on something far more revolutionary: autonomous fighter jets that can fly directly from the factory to operational zones. “We might have jets leaving the factory, flying directly into combat,” he said. “And I think that that is extremely cool.”
This isn’t science fiction. Anduril has already demonstrated advanced autonomy with its Ghost drone and Roadrunner loitering munition systems. The company’s AI-powered command-and-control platform, Lattice, integrates sensor data, threat detection, and decision-making in real time—enabling unmanned systems to operate with minimal human oversight.
Scaling this to full-sized fighter jets represents a quantum leap. These aircraft would need to navigate complex airspace, avoid threats, coordinate with manned units, and execute dynamic missions—all without a pilot onboard. But Anduril’s modular design philosophy and software-first mindset give it a unique edge. Instead of retrofitting old platforms with new tech, the company builds from the ground up with autonomy baked in.
If successful, this could redefine air combat logistics. No more disassembling jets for shipping, reassembling overseas, or waiting weeks for delivery. A jet built in Long Beach could taxi down a runway, take off, and fly autonomously across the Pacific—arriving ready for action. For military planners facing rapid-response scenarios, that speed is invaluable.
Beyond Hardware: How Software Drives Anduril’s Edge
What truly sets Anduril apart isn’t just its ability to build hardware—it’s how it uses software to make that hardware smarter, faster, and more adaptable. The company treats defense systems like modern tech products: continuously updated, cloud-connected, and driven by machine learning.
Lattice, its AI-powered battlefield operating system, acts as the brain connecting drones, sensors, and weapons into a unified network. In exercises with the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, Lattice has demonstrated the ability to track hundreds of targets simultaneously and assign the optimal asset—whether drone, missile, or jet—to neutralize each one.
This software-centric model allows Anduril to iterate quickly. While traditional defense contractors may take years to field upgrades, Anduril pushes updates monthly, sometimes weekly. That agility is critical in an era where adversaries evolve tactics just as fast as technology advances.
The Long Beach campus will house dedicated teams focused on refining this software-hardware synergy. Expect co-located developers and engineers working side-by-side—breaking down silos that have long plagued legacy defense programs.
A Broader Shift in U.S. Defense Innovation
Anduril’s rise reflects a larger transformation in American defense strategy. After decades dominated by slow-moving, cost-overrun programs, the Pentagon is increasingly turning to agile, tech-native firms that operate more like Silicon Valley startups than traditional contractors.
Luckey—a founder of Oculus VR before entering defense—embodies this shift. He brings a product-focused, user-centric mindset to an industry often criticized for bureaucratic inertia. His emphasis on speed, simplicity, and real-world utility resonates with younger military leaders who grew up with smartphones and expect their tools to be just as intuitive.
The Long Beach expansion is more than a real estate play; it’s a statement. By anchoring its most advanced manufacturing and R&D in a civilian tech corridor—not a remote military base—Anduril is blurring the lines between commercial innovation and national security. That fusion could accelerate breakthroughs not just in fighter jets, but in AI ethics, secure communications, and resilient supply chains.
What Comes Next?
Construction on the Long Beach campus begins this year, with phased openings expected through 2027. Early phases will likely focus on drone and subsystem production, with fighter jet assembly ramping up as regulatory and flight-testing milestones are met.
Already, Anduril is in talks with multiple U.S. allies about exporting its autonomous platforms. The ability to ship systems that can self-deploy could be especially appealing to nations with limited air transport capacity or forward basing options.
For now, Luckey remains characteristically enthusiastic but grounded. “It’s not just about building cool tech,” he says. “It’s about building tech that actually works when it matters most.” In a world where the pace of conflict is accelerating, that pragmatism—paired with bold vision—might be exactly what modern defense needs.
As the cranes rise over Long Beach, so too does a new chapter in American technological sovereignty—one where fighter jets don’t just sit in hangars, but soar straight from the factory into the future.
