Machina Labs selected by War Department to develop LUCAS aircraft airframe and deploy two mobile factories
Key Facts
Machina Labs announced it was selected for the U.S. War Department’s Organic Industrial Base Modernization Challenge to develop and qualify a metal airframe for a Group 3 LUCAS-class aircraft, an unmanned aerial system. The program includes deploying two experimental, transportable robotic factories to produce airframes near points of need, according to the company’s announcement published via Business Wire. Machina described the program as “the largest single award in the company’s history,” but did not disclose its financial value. Work begins with developing and qualifying the airframe at the company’s Los Angeles facilities before moving to the establishment of local production sites. The announcement emphasizes moving manufacturing closer to where it will be used, while the award’s value and financial details remain undisclosed.
The company named the two production sites Edge Factories and said they are experimental, deployable factories to support production. Each factory will initially center on a containerized RoboCraftsman manufacturing cell, supported by teams of field-deployed engineers, software and complementary production equipment. According to the company, this arrangement enables manufacturing capacity to be established near the point of need instead of transporting finished airframes from a central facility. This is part of a program that begins with development and qualification in Los Angeles, then moves toward deploying local production sites. The announcement did not specify when the two factories would be deployed or their expected production volume.
Machina said the Edge Factories’ design follows a modular open-systems approach, allowing a single production cell to manufacture a family of drone designs for different missions. The approach, as described by the company, links one production platform with multiple manufacturing capabilities rather than dedicating a separate cell to each design. The metal airframe for the LUCAS aircraft remains the specific product covered by the announced award, while the company provided no details about other designs the experimental factories will produce. The announcement also contained no data on production capacity, operating costs or the start dates for field production. The cell’s reconfigurability is a central feature of the manufacturing model the company presented for the program.
Machina said it had built and operated an unmanned aircraft prototype using the same approach, completing the composite airframe weeks after finalizing the design. The trial provides technical background for the new program, but does not mean the airframe required for the LUCAS aircraft has already passed development and qualification stages. The announced work starts at the Los Angeles facilities with developing and qualifying the metal airframe before moving to production through the mobile factories. The company did not give a date for completing qualification or details of the prototype’s tests. The announcement covers the development and qualification of a metal airframe for a Group 3 LUCAS-class aircraft, without disclosing a timetable for subsequent stages.
The move is part of Machina’s expansion in defense manufacturing. On July 7, 2026, it announced the establishment of Machina Bellator, an entity dedicated to defense contracting. The company said the entity produces complex metal structures for missiles, hypersonic systems, drones and sustainment applications using the RoboCraftsman platform. It also said its work includes projects with the U.S. Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office and Air Force Research Laboratory. The company said Machina Bellator operates in a CMMC Level 2-certified environment and was targeting completion of AS9100 certification during the quarter of the announcement. These activities provide context for the company’s stated defense experience, while the LUCAS program represents a new award under the Organic Industrial Base Modernization Challenge.
Machina plans to add further production capacity through its third factory, where it said advanced manufacturing will begin in 2027, with more than 50 RoboCraftsman cells producing metal defense structures. Defense One reported on September 10, 2026, that the company planned to begin construction of the facility during that year, with space of up to 250,000 square feet. Chief Executive Edward Mehr told the magazine that the company currently manufactures five RoboCraftsman systems annually and is working to increase production. In February 2026, the company raised $124 million in a Series C round, and Axios reported that a large portion of the funding was earmarked for a robotic facility for large-scale manufacturing of missile structures and aircraft airframes. The announcement of two experimental mobile factories adds a field-based track to the company’s stated plans to expand its defense manufacturing facilities, without specifying how it relates to the third factory’s timeline.