Anduril Industries will build Arsenal-1 in Columbus, Ohio, propelling its plans to pump out tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles, sensors and weapons.

• The production lines could go hot as soon as July 2026, according to the company.

Why it matters: This is a make-or-break moment for the $14 billion neo-prime, as it's promised the Pentagon and investors alike an overhaul of defense manufacturing.

• Speculation ran wild after it hinted at an initial stateside megafactory and future copycats abroad in August.

The latest: The 5 million-square-foot Arsenal-1 will be erected near Rickenbacker International Airport, which has ties to the Ohio Air National Guard.

• A 700,000-square-foot facility already on the plot will be renovated.
• Barracuda cruise missiles and Roadrunner interceptors are early contenders for production. Energetics — materials found in ammo, warheads and more — aren't on the menu, period.
• The location grants Anduril access to a pair of 12,000-foot runways. Testing nearby is an option.

What we're watching: How Anduril taps a Rust Belt workforce amid louder and louder chatter of American reindustrialization.

• Chief executive Brian Schimpf told Axios in November available labor and state government enthusiasm were big factors.
• Intel is building a semiconducter shop miles down the road.

Context: Ohio is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

• Anduril is working closely with the service on collaborative combat aircraft. General Atomics is also on the drone wingmen project.

Catch up quick: Anduril secured $1.5 billion in funding over the summer. The money will be used in part for the facility.

• The company has other footprints in Rhode Island (focused on robo-subs), Mississippi (focused on solid rocket motors), Texas (where jammers and air autonomy are assessed) and Australia.
• No existing plants will be shuttered, Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose told reporters.

The bottom line: "This is a massive milestone for Anduril on its journey as a company," Brose said.

• "We will be creating, with our partners in Ohio, something that does not currently exist in the American defense industrial base."

Go deeper: Central Ohio is an industrial development "sweet spot"