Emerging: Amikam Norkin, former Air Force commander, to manage Anduril's operations in Israel
Major General (res.) Amikam Norkin has been chosen to lead the local operations of the defense-tech giant, and is expected to deepen work with the defense establishment and Israeli industries. At the same time, Globes has learned that the company is conducting a massive fundraising round: its scope has reached about $10 billion to date, and it has not yet closed.
The American defense-tech giant Anduril has chosen Major General (res.) Amikam Norkin, former Air Force commander, to head its operations in Israel, Globes has learned. The appointment has not yet been officially announced, and it concludes a process that has lasted for the past few months, during which the company examined several former senior officials in the defense establishment for the position. Norkin, who was one of the prominent candidates from the start, was ultimately chosen to lead the entry of one of the world's fastest-growing defense technology companies into the Israeli market.
Among the candidates examined for the position was also Major General (res.) Amir Abulafia, former head of the Planning Directorate in the IDF.
At the end of June, Anduril CEO and co-founder Brian Schimpf arrived in Israel for a visit that included meetings with candidates for managing the operations as well as with senior officials in MAFAT, the Ministry of Defense, and the defense industries. Now, with the choice of Norkin, the company is moving from the stage of market examination and initial contacts to the stage of establishing a permanent presence in Israel.
One of the largest capital raising rounds in the industry
The appointment comes against the backdrop of Anduril conducting another fundraising round, which may become one of the largest private capital rounds seen in a defense-tech company. According to information that reached Globes, the scope of the round has reached about $10 billion to date, at a company valuation of about $100 billion. However, the round is still open and has not yet closed, and therefore its final scope, the deal structure, and the valuation that will be set in it may still change.
In July, it was reported by Reuters that Anduril is in talks with investors at a valuation of about $100 billion, but at that time it was not known how much money it was seeking to raise. One of the frameworks examined included a two-stage process, in which investors would also commit to a future round at a higher valuation, subject to meeting financial targets. Anduril stated then that no decisions had yet been made regarding future funding and that as a private company it is constantly examining options for financing its growth.
Only in May did the company complete a $5 billion raise at a valuation of $61 billion, led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. If the current round is completed under the conditions being examined, it will reflect a 64% jump in the company's value within a few months, and a fundraising scope that would be double that of the previous round.
A valuation of $100 billion will bring Anduril, at least on paper, close to the market value of some of the public defense industry giants. The numbers also highlight the high expectations from the company. Anduril reported revenues of about $2.2 billion in 2025 and a doubling of the number of employees within a year. A valuation of about $100 billion reflects more than 45 times its revenues in that year, although the company is in rapid growth and its revenues since then may be higher.
Collaborations already taking shape
Norkin, as mentioned, is expected to 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 industries.
The Israeli move is being built gradually. Earlier this year, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey arrived in Israel, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in the defense establishment, and held meetings with a series of local defense-tech companies. Later, senior company officials also met with Elbit, Rafael, and other entities, and examined collaborations, investments, and possible acquisitions.
One of the collaborations that has already been revealed is with Elbit Systems: the companies are working together to offer the US Army the Sigma 155 artillery system, known in the IDF as "Roem". The system combines Elbit's cannon with Anduril's command and control platform and its artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities. For Anduril, a partnership with a large Israeli company can provide operational experience, access to products already integrated into the IDF, and an additional channel to international markets.
Norkin served as Air Force commander in the years 2017-2022, and before that served, among other things, as head of the Planning Directorate in the IDF. His tenure in the Air Force included the continued absorption of F-35 aircraft and the expansion of aerial activity in various arenas in the Middle East. After his release, he turned to the business world, and today he is a managing partner at the Ace Capital Partners fund, which focuses on investments in aviation, space, and defense technologies.
The choice of him gives Anduril a manager who knows closely both the needs of the Air Force and the planning and procurement processes of the defense establishment. It also signals that the company sees autonomous aerial systems and their connection to a command and control layer as a possible focus for its activity in Israel. At this stage, it is unclear when Norkin will officially enter the position and how the appointment will affect his continued activity at Ace Capital.
Entry into Israel is also a competitive threat
Anduril was founded in 2017 by Luckey and four other founders, after Luckey sold the virtual reality company Oculus to Facebook for about $2 billion. The company sought to build a new type of defense manufacturer: one that develops products in advance, finances a significant part of the development itself, and offers them to armies as a ready-made product, instead of relying only on tenders and long government development programs.
At the heart of its activity is Lattice, an artificial intelligence-based software platform that connects sensors, weapon systems, and autonomous tools and presents commanders with a common operational picture. Alongside the software, Anduril develops attack and surveillance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-drone interceptors, cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessels, and electronic warfare systems.
In March, the US Army granted the company a ten-year contract framework with a maximum scope of up to $20 billion, intended to consolidate the procurement of Anduril's software, hardware, and services. The amount is a possible order ceiling and not a commitment to full expenditure, but the very agreement illustrated the company's transition from a startup-supplier to a candidate to compete with traditional defense contractors on large-scale programs.
For the Israeli defense-tech market, Anduril's entry may be both an opportunity and a competitive threat. On one hand, the company brings with it a lot of capital, access to the Pentagon, and the ability to integrate local technologies into global products. On the other hand, it may compete with Israeli companies in the fields of command and control, autonomy, and drones, recruit manpower, and examine acquisitions of local startups. Norkin's appointment is the first step that gives these plans a clear Israeli address.
