Anduril Acquires Klas to Develop Rugged Hardware for Military Edge AI
Anduril Industries, the defense-tech innovator birthed by Palmer Luckey, has announced a strategic acquisition of Klas, a Dublin-based company renowned for their ruggedized hardware focusing on edge computing and tactical communications. This significant acquisition marks Anduril’s ninth and happens in conjunction with the introduction of Menace-T, a revolutionary compact command and control system integrating Klas technology. This critical move, now awaiting regulatory approval following a definitive agreement, aims to fortify Anduril’s military operational capabilities at the tactical edge by seamlessly combining state-of-the-art hardware with its cutting-edge Lattice AI software platform.
Klas, employing about 150 personnel, will maintain its operations across its Irish and U.S. facilities, with aspirations to enhance its manufacturing footprint. Simultaneously, this acquisition establishes Anduril’s inaugural office in Dublin. The financial intricacies of this deal, however, remain undisclosed. Klas’s flagship offering, the Voyager product line, comprises modular compute and networking systems crafted to withstand severe environments – technology that Anduril had already integrated into its Menace command center products.
The acquisition intensifies the existing collaboration between Anduril and Klas. Anduril has articulated a clear objective: to unify its robust Lattice software, autonomous capabilities, and sensor technologies with Klas’s compute and networking infrastructure. This integration aims to engineer “lightweight, mission-tailored systems that are faster to deploy, easier to maintain, and more resilient under pressure.”
At the heart of this strategy is edge computing, which involves on-device data processing rather than relying on distant data centers. Such a model is pivotal, as it enables executing complex AI tasks even in connectivity-challenged environments. The newly announced Menace-T system exemplifies this strategic direction. Designed to fit into just two carry-on cases and operable by a single individual within minutes, this innovative C4 (Command, Control, Communications, Computing) system leverages Klas Voyager hardware in tandem with Anduril’s Lattice Mesh networking software. Boasting significant computing power and secure connectivity in remote locations, this system operates with the same core software as larger Anduril systems and accommodates third-party applications, including edge AI. Anduril has already reported Menace-T’s operational deployment on a global scale.
A spotlight within Anduril’s strategic expansions with Klas is the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program. Having taken over the IVAS contract from tech giant Microsoft in February 2025, Anduril views Klas’s hardware as essential to surmounting the historical data processing challenges within the program. While Anduril’s software was already on the integration path, Klas’s contributions are anticipated to further resolve longstanding issues.
Tom Keane, Anduril’s Senior Vice President of Engineering, commented on the potential unlocked by this synergy, stating, “There are scenarios where those soldiers need to communicate with the tactical edge to send data, to receive data, to task autonomous systems, and that’s a place where the Klas technology can help… Klas has already been supplying technology to IVAS for several years in that context. So we expect to do more there.”
This acquisition of Klas follows Anduril’s consistent efforts in advancing its defense technology ecosystem. Late in 2024, Anduril announced separate collaborations, one with OpenAI focused on developing counter-drone AI solutions and another forming an AI consortium with Palantir aimed at enhancing defense data processing. Through these partnerships, Anduril positions Lattice as a crucial integration platform for AI, sensors, and hardware.
Anduril’s key role in large-scale defense initiatives, such as the Pentagon’s Replicator project highlighted in previous reports, underscores its contributions to developing autonomous systems. Despite its predominant focus on defense and national security markets, the advances in rugged edge computing fueled by acquisitions like Klas are poised to influence commercial sectors that confront similar environmental or connectivity challenges.
