Drone developer Blue Force Technologies has been acquired by Anduril Industries, a California startup founded by Palmer Luckey, the entrepreneur known for founding Oculus VR.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Blue Force Technologies, an aerospace company based in Research Triangle Park that recently expanded to Wake Forest, is working on a federally-funded drone development project it calls the Fury.
The Fury is at the center of the deal, said Christian Brose, chief strategy officer at Anduril, which specializes in autonomous systems for defense applications.
Blue Force Technologies CEO Scott Bledsoe did not comment on the news Wednesday.
Blue Force aims to develop drones that can simulate fifth-generation fighter planes at a fraction of the price – to be used to train fighter pilots. The stakes are huge for its success. Blue Force has been awarded more than $55 million worth of Air Force contracts to design, build and test four its aircraft.
Anduril is a 6-year-old defense technology firm focused on autonomous military systems – and the Fury represents opportunities to expand business with the Department of Defense.
“The purpose is not, how do you replace human beings in national defense,” Brose said. “The point is, how do you augment human operators with large quantities of autonomous systems.”
In addition to developing its own technologies, Anduril has been making acquisitions to support that mission. Last year, it acquired Boston-based startup Dive Technologies, an autonomous underwater vehicles developer. And earlier this year it acquired Adranos, an Indiana-based manufacturer of solid rocket motors.
“Obviously now with Blue Force, we have the ability to move into higher order combat systems,” Brose said.
Brose predicts pouring more capital into the company, creating more jobs in North Carolina in the process.
“We have been investing our own money to go after these opportunities, and I think Blue Force is going to be a very important part of that team now,” he said. “That team is going to have to grow to support the opportunities we see and if we’re successful, the sky is the limit after that.”
While the Fury brand will remain, “for the sake of just really enforcing one team, one dream,” Blue Force will take on the Anduril name, Brose said.
Blue Force said last year it would invest $3 million and create 125 jobs in Wake Forest. Brose said Anduril was committed both to RTP and the growing operation in Wake Forest.
