US firm gets 2.9bn sub deal after boss joins war study with Musk

US firm gets $2.9bn sub deal after boss joins war study with Musk Share US firm gets $2.9bn sub deal after boss joins war study with Musk on social media Defence technology firm Anduril said it will invest $3.7bn to develop a new shipyard in the US state of Maryland and will build critical components for the United States Navy's Virginia-class submarines, as Washington seeks to bolster its maritime defence capabilities. California-based Anduril Industries confirmed on Tuesday it would invest in the submarine production plant, dubbed Arsenal-2, and will receive a $2.9bn US navy contract to manufacture submarine parts. Anduril is a defence technology firm whose co-founder, Palmer Luckey, is heading a new Defense Department project alongside technology billionaire and former top Trump adviser Elon Musk. Luckey and Musk were tapped by the Pentagon to lead Project Meridian, a newly-disclosed initiative focused on the future of warfare, including autonomous, AI-powered and maritime military capabilities. Valued at nearly $117bn, Anduril specialises in uncrewed underwater vehicles and ocean vessels - or naval drones - designed for the US military and its allies.