US defense-tech giant Anduril has chosen former Israel Air Force Commander Gen. (res.) Amikam Norkin as head of the company’s operations in Israel, "Globes" has learned. The appointment, which has not yet been officially announced, concludes a process that has been ongoing for the past few months, during which the company has been considering several former senior defense officers for the position. Norkin, who was initially one of the leading candidates, was ultimately chosen to lead the entry of one of the world's fastest-growing defense technology companies into the Israeli market.
Among the other candidates considered for the position was Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Abulafia, former head of the IDF Planning Department.
At the end of June, Anduril cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf visited Israel for meetings with candidates to lead Israel operations. He also met with senior officials at the Ministry of Defense Ministry and its Directorate for Defense R&D (MAFAT) as well as senior executives of Israeli defense companies. Now, with the appointment of Norkin, the company is moving from the market review and initial contacts stage to establishing a permanent presence in Israel.
One of the biggest financing rounds in the industry
The appointment comes as Anduril is conducting another financing round, which could become one of the largest private equity rounds ever seen in a defense-tech company. According to information received by "Globes," the size of the round has reached about $10 billion, based on a company valuation of about $100 billion. However, the round has not yet closed, and its final size, the structure of the deal, and the valuation to be set may still change.
In July, "Reuters" reported that Anduril was in talks with investors at a valuation of about $100 billion, but at the time it was not known how much money it was seeking to raise. One of the outlines being considered involved a two-stage process, in which investors would also commit to a future round at a higher valuation, subject to meeting financial targets. Anduril said at the time that no decisions had been made about future financing and that as a private company it was constantly exploring options for financing its growth.
Only in May did the company complete a $5 billion financing round at a valuation of $61 billion, led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. If the current round is completed under the terms being considered, it would represent a 64% jump in the company’s valuation in just a few months, and a fundraising volume that would be double that of the previous round.
A valuation of $100 billion would bring Anduril closer, at least on paper, to the market cap of several public defense industry giants. The numbers also underscore the great expectations for the company. Anduril reported revenue of about $2.2 billion in 2025 and a doubling of its workforce within a year. A valuation of about $100 billion represents more than 45 times its revenue that year, although the company is growing rapidly and its revenue since then may be higher.
Collaborations already taking shape
Norkin will manage Anduril's ongoing relationship with the Ministry of Defense and the IDF, promote sales of the company's products in Israel, and develop collaborations with local defense firms.
The Israeli move was built gradually. Earlier this year, Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey visited Israel, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in the Ministry of Defense, and held meetings with a number of Israeli defense-tech companies. Later, the company's senior officials also met with Elbit, Rafael, and other executives, and examined possible collaborations, investments, and acquisitions.
One of the collaborations that has already been reported is with Elbit Systems. The companies are working together to offer the US Army the Sigma 155 howitzer system, which is already operative in the IDF. The system combines Elbit's cannon with Anduril's command and control platform and its AI and autonomy capabilities. A partnership with a large Israeli company provides Anduril with operational experience, access to products already integrated into the IDF, and an additional channel to international markets.
Norkin served as Israel Air Force commander from 2017 to 2022, having previously been head of the IDF Planning Department. His tenure in the Air Force included the procurement of F-35 aircraft and the expansion of air activity in various arenas in the Middle East. After his discharge, he entered the business world, and is currently a managing partner at Ace Capital Partners, which focuses on investments in aviation, space and security technologies.
His appointment will give Anduril a manager who is intimately familiar with both the needs of the Air Force and the Ministry of Defense’s planning and procurement processes. It also indicates that the US company sees autonomous aerial systems and their connection to a command and control layer as a possible focus for its activities in Israel. At this stage, it is unclear when Norkin will officially assume office and how the appointment will affect his continued activities at Ace Capital.
Entering Israel is also a competitive threat
Anduril was founded in 2017 by Luckey with four other cofounders, after Luckey sold virtual reality company Oculus to Facebook for about $2 billion. The company has sought to build a new kind of defense manufacturer: one that develops products in advance, finances a significant portion of the development itself, and offers them to militaries as a finished product, instead of relying solely on tenders and long-term government development programs.
At the heart of its operations is Lattice, an AI-based software platform that connects sensors, weapons systems and autonomous tools and presents commanders with a shared picture of the situation. Anduril also develops attack and surveillance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-drone interceptors, cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vehicles and electronic warfare systems.
In March, the US Army awarded the company a 10-year framework agreement with a maximum scope of up to $20 billion, to consolidate the procurement of Anduril software, hardware and services. The amount is a ceiling for possible orders and not a commitment to full spending, but the agreement itself illustrated the company’s transition from a supplier startup to a candidate to compete with traditional defense contractors on large-scale programs.
For the Israeli defense-tech market, Anduril’s entry could be both an opportunity and a competitive threat. On the one hand, the company brings a lot of capital, access to the Pentagon and the ability to integrate local technologies into global products. On the other hand, it could compete with Israeli companies in the areas of command and control, autonomy and drones, recruit personnel and consider acquisitions of local startups. Norkin’s appointment is the first step that gives these programs a clear Israeli address.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 1, 2026.
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