A new startup launched today with the definitely not terrifying mission of creating genetically enhanced dogs for the United States military, law enforcement, and emergency first responders.

Warhound is the brainchild of Anduril’s Palmer Luckey and Colossal Biosciences cofounder Ben Lamm. The startup has raised $200 million to “rebuild America’s domestic supply of elite working dogs” and reduce dependency on European dog breeders for military canines.

Lamm tells WIRED that Warhound is in the process of gene-editing its first batch of dogs. The startup has already collected blood samples from specific "top-performing” military, police, and first responder dogs in the United States, and its goal is to clone them. Breeds will be “mostly Belgian Malinois, some labs, and some shepherds,” he says. The company anticipates the first round of puppies to be born in early 2027.

The initial rounds of gene-editing will focus on eliminating common health conditions that impact these breeds, like hip dysplasia. Further down the line, Lamm envisions expanding to “really interesting things,” such as incorporating olfactory receptor genes from wolves to “enhance” the military dogs. (Colossal Biosciences is perhaps best known for its work on gene-edited wolves for its so-called Dire Wolf De-Extinction Project.)

Warhound, based in Texas, will also equip its canines with “Anduril’s advanced cybernetic Augments, software, and battlefield situational awareness,” according to a press releaseAsked if this means the dogs will be some kind of cyborgs, Lamm clarifies that the plan right now is to supply them with tools like “advanced body armor” rather than, say, embedding some sort of computer in their dog bodies.

Source link