The US Air Force is planning to create an “internet of things” for war, and Palmer Luckey’s defense company, Anduril Industries, is one of the vendors drafted to help.
The Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) is part of a continued push by the Air Force and Space Force to modernize in the digital era.
When completed, the ABMS will be a software platform to connect soldiers with devices and equipment across all areas of the military — land, air, sea, and even the electro-magnetic spectrum. To prepare for the project, which will likely cost upwards of $900 million, Anduril is doing a lot of hiring.
💎 Data Digs
- Our data show that Anduril is stepping up hiring, with a 44% increase in new hires compared to the same time last year. In fact, the company has grown 175% year-over-year, and currently has 281 employees.
- Some of the most common open positions at Anduril are in software engineering and recruiting. The most common position, perception engineer, involves developing “cutting edge software for autonomous operation and situational awareness” according to the job listing for the role. Other positions include software engineering for autonomous flight, platform integration, and manufacturing engineering.
⚔️ Big Picture
- Luckey first made his name in big tech after selling his Oculus VR headset company to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. Anduril was founded after Luckey was fired from Facebook in March 2017, for his continued support for and financial contributions to pro-Trump organizations. Luckey identifies as a libertarian, though he donated $10,000 to a pro-Trump organization in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
- This isn’t Palmer Luckey’s first foray into defense. Anduril has worked with the Trump administration to build a virtual border wall along the United States and Mexico, made up of drone surveillance, sensor towers, and AI software.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online, jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings, and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.