Mach Industries secures US Army contract under 21-year-old founder Ethan Thornton, establishes weapons facility

Sequoia-backed Mach Industries, the defense tech company founded by 21-year-old Ethan Thornton, has secured a contract with the U.S. Army and is planning to open its first factory in Huntington Beach, California. This factory, named Forge 1, will be 115,000 square feet and located in Southern California, an area known for its defense tech industry growth.

Mach Industries has been selected by the Army Applications Laboratory to develop a vertical takeoff precision cruise missile called “Strategic Strike.” This contract was awarded in the third quarter of 2024 after successful initial flight tests. The company is focusing on building decentralized factories like Forge 1 to establish a survival defense industrial base for the production of its main products, Glide and Viper.

Viper, a super-light jet-powered vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is known for its vertical takeoffs without the need for a runway. Mach Industries claims it is significantly cheaper to build than traditional UAVs. Glide, on the other hand, is a bomb deployed from a vehicle positioned at the edge of space, offering increased range and difficulty in interception.

Thornton, the teenage founder of Mach Industries, dropped out of MIT to pursue his vision for the company, attracting investments from prominent venture capitalists like Sequoia and Bedrock Capital. Mach Industries has quickly become a key player in the defense tech industry, employing a growing team and working on innovative products for military applications.