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I remember it like it was last year…
My dad came home from work a little later than normal.
He was an electrical engineer for Armco Steel, whose legacy is now part of Cleveland-Cliffs, and a man of routine.
That afternoon, his routine was off.
He got out of the car, late for dinner, and instead of coming inside, walked into the backyard to sit by himself.
Keep in mind, this was before cell phones. If Dad was late and needed a few minutes alone, something had happened at work.
I figured he needed to decompress, so I let him be. For years, we never spoke about it.
It wasn’t until I was 35 years old that I learned what happened that afternoon.
And trust me, it wasn’t what I expected.
Being a lead engineer in the steel industry meant Dad occasionally worked on projects involving the Department of Defense.
He would travel to Dayton, Ohio, just 45 minutes up the road, and spend days in what he called “think tanks.”
Working on what? I still don’t know.
But I can tell you that we were standing on the tarmac when an SR-71 Blackbird arrived in Dayton to take its place at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
And growing up, I attended parties with family “friends” whose dress uniforms carried stacks of service ribbons.
There was a lot happening that I didn’t understand.
Including what happened to Dad that afternoon.
Apparently, during a break in one of those meetings, he went looking for a bathroom.
He wandered down a hallway, found a door, and opened it.
Standing there was a military officer pointing a loaded .45-caliber pistol directly at him.
“I don’t think this is where you meant to go,” the officer said.
“You’re right,” Dad replied. “Have a nice day.”
He backed out and quietly closed the door.
Now I understood why he needed a little time in the backyard.
I also understood something else.
You never really know what’s happening behind the doors of an ordinary-looking building.
And that brings me to one of the most interesting investment stories developing in America today.
Dayton, Ohio proudly calls itself the Birthplace of Aviation.
It’s where Orville and Wilbur Wright developed the engineering knowledge that made powered flight possible.
But the Wright brothers were only the beginning.
For generations, Dayton has been at the center of America’s military aviation research, development, and intelligence operations.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is home to the Air Force Research Laboratory, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and some of the most sophisticated aerospace research programs in the world.
The region has helped advance everything from propulsion and radar to stealth technology, advanced materials, and autonomous aircraft.
Consider the SR-71 Blackbird.
Developed more than 60 years ago, this aircraft could fly above 85,000 feet at speeds exceeding Mach 3.
That’s three times the speed of sound.
We hear about Area 51 in Nevada because of its secrecy and experimental aircraft testing.
But I’ve always thought of Wright-Patterson as the Area 51 of the Midwest.
Not because the two installations perform identical missions, but because Dayton has spent generations helping develop the technologies that eventually become America’s military advantage.
And here’s what most people miss.
That innovation doesn’t always happen in futuristic laboratories surrounded by armed guards.
Sometimes it happens in a building that looks like it could be manufacturing dish soap bottles.
Drive east from Dayton toward Columbus, and you’ll find one of America’s most ambitious defense manufacturing projects.
It’s called Arsenal-1.
And it’s being developed by Anduril Industries.
The industrial setting looks ordinary enough. Warehouses, loading docks, manufacturing equipment.
Nothing that immediately suggests the next generation of American military technology.
But inside are engineers, technicians, and software developers.
People just like my dad.
And they’re working on technologies that could fundamentally change how America fights its next war.
Located near Rickenbacker International Airport, south of Columbus, Arsenal-1 is designed to become a massive advanced manufacturing operation.
The long-term plan calls for approximately 5 million square feet of manufacturing capacity, more than $900 million in investment, and over 4,000 jobs.
At full scale, Anduril expects to manufacture tens of thousands of autonomous defense systems annually.
And the production process is already underway.
In July, the first Ohio-built YFQ-44A Fury rolled off the production line.
Fury is an autonomous combat aircraft designed to operate alongside manned fighters as part of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Think of it as a new kind of wingman.
One that can extend a fighter’s reach, carry weapons, and perform dangerous missions without exposing another American pilot to risk.
Anduril also plans to manufacture its Roadrunner interceptor, Barracuda cruise missile family, and systems associated with a classified program at Arsenal-1.
These aren’t simply smaller versions of yesterday’s weapons. They’re changing the economics of warfare.
Look at Ukraine.
Relatively inexpensive drones have demonstrated the ability to threaten military equipment costing millions of dollars.
Electronic warfare, autonomous targeting, and unmanned systems are becoming as important as traditional military platforms.
That creates an entirely different economic equation.
It’s no longer enough to build the most sophisticated weapon in the world.
You need to build enough of them. Quickly.
At a cost that allows the military to replace what gets used or destroyed.
Anduril’s strategy centers on software-driven manufacturing, flexible production lines, and faster development cycles.
Instead of designing a factory around one product for decades, the company wants production capacity that can adapt as battlefield requirements change.
Speed, scalability, and cost are becoming competitive advantages in defense manufacturing.
And the Pentagon is paying attention.
Washington is discussing a defense spending future that could reach $1.5 trillion annually.
And there’s little doubt that established contractors like RTX (RTX), Northrop Grumman (NOC), and Lockheed Martin (LMT) will receive substantial portions of that money if those ambitions become reality.
But here’s the question investors should be asking.
Where does the next dollar of defense spending create the greatest opportunity for growth?
Not necessarily at companies already generating tens of billions in annual revenue.
The more interesting opportunities may be among smaller companies supplying the technologies that make tomorrow’s military systems possible.
Autonomous navigation. Advanced sensors. Artificial intelligence. Critical materials. New propulsion and power systems.
These are the building blocks of tomorrow’s military.
And the companies controlling them could become the next generation of defense industry leaders.
Anduril, a privately held company, is one example of this transformation.
But it isn’t the only one.
Some of the biggest opportunities may be hiding deeper in the defense supply chain, where relatively unknown companies are developing technologies that could become essential to tomorrow’s drones, missiles, robots, and autonomous systems.
That’s where investors should be looking.
And it’s exactly why I want you to hear what my colleague Matt McCall has uncovered.
Matt’s spent more than 25 years identifying emerging technologies and companies positioned to benefit from them. He’s earned a reputation for finding potential 10-baggers before they become household names.
Now he’s investigating a small American company with exclusive licensing rights to a technology developed through decades of U.S. Navy research.
A technology with potential applications in drones, missiles, robotics, and even power-grid inspection.
It also addresses a strategic problem: America’s dependence on foreign-controlled critical materials and technologies.
The company isn’t Anduril.
But it represents the same investment theme.
The next great defense companies may not be the ones building yesterday’s weapons. They may be the ones supplying the breakthrough technologies that make tomorrow’s weapons possible.
This afternoon, Matt will reveal the story during a special presentation called The Edison Prophecy.
He’ll explain the technology, the company behind it, and why he believes investors should be paying attention.
You’ll also learn how to receive his research and get a free bonus stock pick.
Reserve your free spot for The Edison Prophecy.
I still think about that afternoon when my dad came home from work and sat quietly in the backyard.
Today, another generation of engineers is working behind unremarkable doors across Ohio.
The buildings may look ordinary.
The work happening inside is anything but.
And for investors willing to look beyond the familiar names, that’s where tomorrow’s biggest opportunities may be taking shape.
Luck favors the prepared trader.
