Anduril tests next-generation robot sub in St. Pete

A defense technology startup recently valued at $28 billion is testing its next-generation uncrewed, autonomous submarine in St. Petersburg’s Bayboro Harbor.

Anduril Industries, founded by the inventor of the Oculus virtual reality headset, has temporarily moved into the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. The Costa Mesa, California-based company realized the waterfront facility in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District was an ideal location to test its new extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle (AUV), the Dive-XL.

William Rose, program manager for Anduril, was the featured speaker Tuesday at the Hub’s monthly Tech X-change event. He began the presentation by noting the artificial intelligence-focused defense industry darling could not divulge many details “about what’s going on right outside.”

“How long we’re going to be here is still undetermined,” Rose told the Catalyst. “We’re working on some tests right now that will determine the length of our stay.”

Unlike remotely operated vehicles – tethered and controlled by humans – AUVs operate independently. Computers pilot the vessels, and Anduril designed the Dive-XL for government and commercial use.

The U.S. Navy has long shown an interest in underwater drones. However, the industry has struggled to build relatively affordable vessels capable of autonomously performing missions like aerial counterparts while withstanding the unforgiving deep-sea environment.

“We’ve been here for two weeks, working some 16-hour days,” Rose said. “We’re kind of on a month-to-month … maybe week-to-week.”

The Dive-XL will soon complete an over 1,000-mile mission while fully submerged. Photo: Anduril.

Anduril atypically self-funds its research, development and testing. The electric Dive-XL spent 100 hours underwater, an industry milestone, off the coast of California in December 2024.

Company leadership subsequently announced an exponentially more ambitious goal – completing an over 1,000 nautical-mile (1,150 miles) journey while fully submerged. Anduril’s website states the mission will occur “in the first half of 2025.”

In February 2024, the Defense Innovation Unit awarded the rapidly growing startup a $99 million contract to prototype long-range, persistent underwater sensing and payload delivery systems for the Navy. Anduril delivered the first of three AUVs it will manufacture for the Royal Australian Navy as part of the Ghost Shark program in April 2024.

The Dive-XL’s modularity allows operators to quickly swap out and integrate various payloads, ranging from sensors and communications packages to munitions. Missions could include scientific research and hunting enemy submarines – China has reportedly developed several similar vessels.

“Unfortunately, I can’t talk about that sort of stuff,” Rose said. “It’s just the nature of our business.”

Anduril docked a support vessel at the Hub, adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg and the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. The city-owned facility is also home to Saildrone, which manufactures and operates uncrewed surface vehicles.

Rose said the Dive-XL is “fairly light-weighted” for its size and doesn’t require special equipment or handling “other than a crane and some space in the parking lot.” Anduril considered multiple new testing sites, and the Hub was “right at the top for its access to the water, the ability to get into the Gulf of America quickly and the space to launch stuff.”

William Rose, program manager for Anduril.

Palmer Luckey co-founded Anduril in 2017 after selling Oculus to Facebook, now Meta, for $2 billion. Business Insider wrote Tuesday that venture capitalists are “in a frenzy” to invest in the company yet struggle to find anyone willing to part with their shares.

Lattice, Anduril’s artificial intelligence-powered open operating system, supports the company’s autonomous land, air and sea vehicles. Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base is home to U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which announced March 23 that it selected Anduril to integrate its advanced software into “multi-domain uncrewed systems.”

When asked if Anduril would consider opening a permanent outpost in St. Petersburg, Rose said, “There’s always a possibility. We’re growing fast.”

The company hired 1,000 new engineers in 2024. Rose said Anduril and the U.S. Department of Defense believe “autonomy is the future” due to its scalability and adaptability across various domains.

Lauren Bell, community manager at the Hub, said her goal for 2025 was to “activate the Hub’s waterfront for additional tests and evaluations.” The year is off to a good start.

“Having Anduril at the Hub signifies that what we are doing is working – amplifying St. Pete and the Innovation District as a world-class marine research testbed and growing and supporting cutting-edge technology,” Bell added.