Trump visits naval construction site

On Tuesday, October 6, former U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Arsenal-2 naval construction site in Sparrows Point, near Baltimore, which is intended to manufacture components for Virginia-class attack submarines. The site will be built by Anduril, an American defense company, which is investing 3.7 billion dollars in private capital.

Navy contract and investment

In addition, the U.S. Navy has a contract with Anduril that could reach 2.9 billion dollars, with payments contingent on production results. This means the Navy will only pay for work that meets specific performance standards.

Software-defined shipyard

Anduril describes the site as a "software-defined" shipyard, meaning it is organized around software. The company highlights ArsenalOS, a digital platform revealed in June on its blog, which is intended to be the digital backbone of all its factories.

ArsenalOS functions

ArsenalOS is a platform that connects Anduril's production software and is supposed to bring together all the chain, from design to field maintenance, in a single environment. It combines a homegrown platform called Forge and third-party commercial software.

Automated adjustments and tracking

According to Anduril, when a plan is modified, the software must automatically reflect the change in the work instructions, which it generates itself. It keeps track of the version used for each unit, which allows identifying the units to be modified. It also prevents the workshop from working on an outdated plan.

Inventory and maintenance

It also checks inventory, guides technicians with digital instructions and records each weld or bolt tightened, with the author and time of the operation. This level of detail is intended to improve efficiency and reduce errors in the manufacturing process.

Comparison to military kill chain

Anduril compares this process to the "kill chain" military, which goes from detecting a target to the strike. Its "build chain" goes from defining a need to deployment, with a claimed difference, since it should be able to remain open to modifications as long as the field requires. A promise still to be demonstrated.

Vision of modern warfare

Anduril justifies this project by its vision of modern warfare. "Factories are fighting against factories, hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines," writes the company, which adds that weapon stocks now determine deterrence. The company promises billions of dollars in savings and a model capable of quickly adapting to changes in orders or suppliers.

Early-stage system and security

These statements remain for now those of the manufacturer, who himself admits that ArsenalOS is still in its early stages. Anduril also presents it as the foundation of Arsenal-1, a first factory installed near Columbus, in Ohio, where the company produces its combat drone YFQ-44 Fury. Its communications do not detail either how the system that centralizes, from the initial plan to the field maintenance, all the production data of weapons is protected.

Future of the shipyard

The Baltimore shipyard will not produce before 2030, and it is the Navy, through the performance-based contract, that will say whether the promise of a shipyard managed like software holds up over time.