Anduril Wins $642M Marine Corps Counter-Drone Contract for Base Protection Worldwide

Anduril Industries wins a potential 10-year, $642.2 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps for Installation-Counter small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (I-C-sUAS), beating nine other competing proposals. The contract covers detection, tracking, countering, and defense of Marine Corps facilities, personnel, and assets from small drone threats worldwide.

Contract Structure

The contract includes a base period and nine optional ordering periods, with a maximum value of $642,210,000 expected to run through March 2035. Work will be performed primarily in Costa Mesa, California (80%), with additional activities in Washington, D.C. (10%) and various Marine Corps installations (10%). The solicitation, released in February 2024, specified non-kinetic countermeasures including electromagnetic, acoustic, or other signature disruptions to neutralize small UAS threats.

Significance

The competitive win — 10 proposals received — demonstrates Anduril’s growing ability to displace traditional defense primes in major military contracts. Counter-drone technology has become one of the most urgent capability gaps for U.S. forces, driven by lessons from Ukraine where cheap commercial drones have devastated conventional military assets. The contract further entrenches Anduril as a primary provider of AI-driven autonomous defense systems across the U.S. military, expanding its footprint from border surveillance towers and battlefield drones into permanent base defense infrastructure.