Anduril Industries cofounder Palmer Luckey is in talks to appoint former Israel Air Force Commander Gen. (res.) Amikam Norkin as head of the company's operations in Israel, marking a significant expansion of the American defense technology firm's presence in a country whose military innovation has become essential to Western security architecture. The move comes as Anduril, valued at $61 billion following a $5 billion fundraising round in May, positions itself at the intersection of autonomous systems development and the proven battlefield experience of the Israeli defense establishment.
Norkin is currently managing partner of the Ace Capital Partners investment fund, a partnership between Key1 Capital and Aerospace Spirit, alongside Brig.-Gen. (res.) Shimon Tsentsiper, Amit Pilowsky, Danny Ackerman and Sarel Eldor. The fund invests in Israeli and global early-stage companies from seed to Series A, developing dual-use, aerospace and defense technologies. It is currently backing four start-ups working on optical sensors for satellites, advanced robotics for ground forces, hybrid engines for vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and a deployable vertical take-off and landing platform in a box for border security and police.
Strategic Partnership and Local Manufacturing
Anduril is interested in establishing its own factory in Israel, though land acquisition processes have not yet begun. Luckey's conclusions followed a series of meetings held in Israel prior to the outbreak of the war with Iran in March with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Israel Katz, Defense Ministry director general Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, Defense Ministry head of the Budget Department Brig. Gen. Nir Weingold and other senior officials. The timing underscores the strategic imperative driving defense technology cooperation between the United States and Israel as regional threats from Iranian proxies and direct Iranian aggression reshape Middle Eastern security calculations.
Luckey was also interested in acquiring the Israeli defense-tech startup Kela, but its founders refused the possibility of a sale at this time, and Kela declined to comment on the report of the offer from Anduril. The interest in Israeli technology reflects the battlefield-tested innovation emerging from a country that faces continuous security challenges requiring cutting-edge solutions.
Cost-Effective Combat Systems
Anduril has a strategic partnership with German giant Rheinmetall to expand its activities throughout Europe, focused on Barracuda series cruise missiles and Fury unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Anduril said the Barracuda missiles would be about 30% cheaper than the market price. The Barracuda-100 is designed for a range of about 157 kilometers and carries a warhead weighing about 15 kilograms. It can be launched from a ground and air platform. The Barracuda-250 is designed for targets at a distance of 370 kilometers and can carry a 45 kilogram warhead. It is also designed for air and ground platforms. The Barracuda-500 is designed for air launch only and carries a warhead of more than 45 kilograms for a range of about 926 kilometers.
Fury is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Anduril that costs $25-30 million, compared with a fifth-generation F-35 aircraft in service with the Israeli Air Force that costs about $80 million, while other versions are priced at $100 million or more. Washington plans for the stealth drone, which has a speed of Mach 0.95, about 1,160 km/h, is about half the size of an F-16 and is designed to have exceptional autonomous capabilities, to become operational in the ranks of the US Air Force by 2029.
Global Expansion Strategy
Anduril has already opened a local branch and set up strategic partnerships in South Korea, including a joint venture with Korea Air to develop autonomous defense systems and shared aircraft, and with Hyundai Shipyards to develop UAVs and unmanned underwater vehicles. It opened Anduril Australia in March 2022 and opened a representative office in Tokyo last December. Those moves led to a $1.2 billion deal for the sale of the unmanned submarine Ghost Shark, produced in collaboration with the Australians.
About a year ago, Anduril entered into a tripartite agreement with Singapore and US company Shield AI for joint development in AI, with Singapore integrating its Defense Science and Technology Agency and air force. Anduril teamed with US company Archer in December 2024 to develop a hybrid VTOL aircraft that will serve Abu Dhabi in commercial areas.
Rapid Growth and Political Connections
The company, founded in 2017, develops autonomous weapons systems, aircraft, missiles and AI systems. In May, it completed a $5 billion fundraising round at a valuation of $61 billion. In June 2025, the company had a valuation of just over $30 billion. The funding completed this year is the largest in defense tech in 2026. Among Anduril's prominent investors are Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared, son-in-law and close confidant of US President Donald Trump. Josh Kushner's Thrive Capital, together with Andreessen Horowitz, led the recent round.
The company's cofounder and CEO, Brian Schimpf, said Anduril doubled its revenue to $2.2 billion in 2025, almost doubled its workforce and moved more systems from development to production than ever before.
Why This Matters:
Anduril's expansion into Israel represents the convergence of American capital and Israeli battlefield experience at a moment when autonomous weapons systems are reshaping modern warfare. Israel's continuous exposure to asymmetric threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed militias has made its defense sector a proving ground for technologies that must work under the most demanding operational conditions. The appointment of a former air force commander signals Anduril's recognition that Israeli military expertise is essential for developing systems capable of operating in complex threat environments. As Iran expands its proxy networks across the region and invests in drone and missile technology, the partnership between American defense innovation and Israeli operational experience becomes a strategic imperative for Western security. The cost advantages Anduril offers—cruise missiles 30% cheaper than market rates and combat drones at a fraction of F-35 costs—could fundamentally alter the economics of deterrence, allowing democracies to field larger arsenals against adversaries who compensate for technological inferiority with numerical superiority and willingness to accept civilian casualties.