Anduril Industries co-founder Palmer Luckey and his partner, Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm, are launching a new business to equip the military and law enforcement with genetically enhanced working dogs.
Their new company, Warhound, is a Texas-based defense and biotechnology startup to solve a reliance on European breeders to provide the U.S. military and first responders with working dogs.
“The company will reduce dependence on a shrinking European supply chain and strengthen America’s ability to protect its own people, infrastructure, and national security interests,” Warhound officials said Friday in a statement.
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Company officials said Warhound will bring together Colossal’s breakthroughs in genetics, cloning, and animal biology with Anduril’s advanced defense technology to “fundamentally change” how America produces, trains and protects its military working dogs.
“Colossal’s science will help produce healthier dogs with characteristics suited to demanding missions, while Anduril’s technology will give dogs and their handlers greater awareness and protection in the field,” Warhound officials said.
The dogs will be equipped with Anduril’s advanced cybernetic augments, software and battlefield situation awareness programs.
“Man’s best friend deserves man’s best tech,” Palmer Luckey said in a statement.
Working dogs have served alongside U.S. military personnel for more than 80 years, detecting threats and protecting troops worldwide. The Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Program currently includes more than 2,200 dog teams that are critical for a variety of military operations.
“Every day, we ask dogs to put their lives on the line to protect ours. They detect explosives, protect our troops, and run toward dangers that most people are trained to run away from,” Mr. Lamm said. “Yet, we’re still relying on outdated approaches to breeding and training these extraordinary animals, with too many never making it through the process.”
Warhound said the company is working with the American Humane Society, which will guide the training and ensure ethical standards and proper care from birth.
“Working dogs are extraordinary animals whose courage and loyalty save lives,” said Robin Ganzert, president of the American Humane Society. “Success means helping these dogs thrive throughout their lives — from training and active service to the loving, dignified retirement every canine hero deserves.”
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