Anduril is in talks to turn a Nissan car plant near Tokyo into a drone factory
The US autonomy maker wants to build military drones in a shuttered Nissan plant near a major US-Japan naval base, as Tokyo rearms against a Taiwan crisis.
The US autonomy maker wants to build military drones in a shuttered Nissan plant near a major US-Japan naval base, as Tokyo rearms against a Taiwan crisis.
Anduril Industries is in talks to buy Nissan's Oppama assembly plant near Tokyo and turn it into a military-drone factory, three sources told Reuters. No decision has been made, and Nissan is talking with other buyers, the sources said. Anduril would not comment on what it called market speculation.
Oppama opened in 1961 and has built about 18 million vehicles, including the first Nissan Leaf in 2010. The site covers 1.7 million square meters and includes research, testing and port facilities, Reuters reported. Nissan plans to shut it in 2028 and move the 2,400 workers to other plants. Anduril has offered to retrain some of them for defense work, one source said.
The plant would extend a model Anduril is already building at home. Its Arsenal-1 factory outside Columbus, Ohio runs to 5 million square feet, with drone production due to start this year. StartupFortune called the Oppama bid that Arsenal-1 playbook going international. Anduril's pitch is software-defined hardware built fast in plants it owns, against cost-plus programs that run a decade.
Oppama sits next to Yokosuka, base of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy's only forward-deployed carrier strike group. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is expanding arms production over concern that a Taiwan Strait crisis could pull Japan in and run down its munitions, Reuters reported. Tokyo has eased export rules and is due to publish a security strategy that raises spending on drones and munitions. Anduril already operates units in Taiwan and South Korea, and last year built a prototype drone called Kizuna from only Japanese parts to meet local-content rules.
Anduril still needs orders from Japan's military to justify the purchase, the sources said, and US equipment made in Japan is usually built under license by Japanese firms.
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Subscribe Free →Ukrainian drone makers are chasing the same buyers, Reuters reported earlier, pitching systems proven against Russian forces as Asian governments arm against China. The cheap-drone economics set on the front in Ukraine now decide where Asia builds them, and a closed car plant beside a US carrier base is the prize.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Anduril trying to buy?
Nissan's Oppama assembly plant near Tokyo, a 1.7-million-square-meter site with its own research, testing and port facilities that Nissan plans to close by 2028, per Reuters. Anduril would convert it into a military-drone factory.
Is the deal done?
No. Three sources told Reuters no decision has been made, Nissan is talking with other buyers, and Anduril still needs orders from Japan's military to justify the purchase. Anduril declined to comment on "market speculation."
Why Japan, and why now?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is expanding arms production amid concern a Taiwan Strait crisis could draw Japan in and drain its munitions, Reuters reported. Tokyo has loosened export rules and is expected to publish a security strategy that lifts spending on drones and munitions.
How does Oppama fit Anduril's manufacturing model?
It mirrors Arsenal-1, Anduril's 5-million-square-foot drone plant outside Columbus, Ohio. StartupFortune framed the Oppama bid as that playbook going international: software-defined hardware built at scale in company-owned plants.
Is Anduril the only company chasing Japan's drone market?
No. Reuters reported earlier that Ukrainian makers, with drones proven against Russian forces, are pitching the same buyers as demand for unmanned systems rises across Asia.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.