一家旨在为军事和执法用途培育基因增强犬只的新国防科技初创公司周五正式成立，种子融资达2亿美元。
A new defense tech startup aiming to produce genetically enhanced dogs for military and law enforcement use launched Friday with $200 million in seed funding.
总部位于得克萨斯州的Warhound由Anduril Industries创始人帕尔默·拉基和企业家本·拉姆共同构想，后者创立了Colossal Biosciences，该公司因致力于复活灭绝物种而广为人知。
Texas-based Warhound was conceived by Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey and entrepreneur Ben Lamm, who started Colossal Biosciences, a company best known for its efforts to revive extinct species.
据新闻稿，Warhound首席执行官大卫·斯皮尔克表示，公司旨在减少美国对“日益萎缩”的欧洲工作犬供应链的依赖。
In a press release, Warhound chief executive David Spirk said the company aims to reduce the United States’ dependence on a “shrinking” European supply chain for working dogs.
斯皮尔克说：“我们的长期目标很简单：更健康的犬只、准备更充分的团队，以及更多军人和第一响应者能安全回家。”他补充说，他非常关心“保护人员并帮助支持他们的动物”。加入Warhound之前，斯皮尔克曾担任多个国防相关职务，包括Palantir Technologies高级法律顾问、国防部首席数据官和美国特种作战司令部（SOCOM）首席数据官。
“Our long-term goal is simple: healthier dogs, better-prepared teams, and more service members and first responders coming home safely,” Spirk said, adding that he cares deeply about “protecting people and helping the animals who support them.”Before joining Warhound, Spirk held several defense-related positions, including senior counsel at Palantir Technologies and chief data officer at both the Defense Department and U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM.
据公告，拉基和拉姆多年前在年度“登月峰会”上构想了Warhound的创意，该峰会是企业家们讨论宏大构想的聚会。
According to the announcement, Luckey and Lamm conceived the idea for Warhound years ago at the annual Moonshots Summit, a gathering where entrepreneurs discuss ambitious ideas.
他们认识到军用工作犬项目面临两大挑战：大多数犬只无法完成训练，且美国严重依赖外国供应链。
They recognized two challenges with military working-dog programs: Most of the canines never complete training, and the U.S. relies heavily on a foreign supply chain.
据Warhound称，海外供应商提供80%的军用工作犬。公司还表示，美国必须训练约200只犬才能投入使用100只，部分原因是许多犬只无法完成训练。
According to Warhound, overseas suppliers provide 80% of military working dogs. The company also says the United States must train roughly 200 dogs to field 100, in part because so many fail to complete training.
Warhound计划结合创始人各自的专业领域来解决这些问题。
Warhound plans to combine the founders’ respective areas of expertise to address those problems.
公司表示：“Colossal的科学将有助于培育出更健康、具有适合高要求任务特征的犬只，而Anduril的技术将让犬只及其训导员在野外拥有更强的感知和防护能力。”
“Colossal’s science will help produce healthier dogs with characteristics suited to demanding missions, while Anduril’s technology will give dogs and their handlers greater awareness and protection in the field,” the company said.
Warhound还表示，将与美国人道协会合作，保障动物的健康与福利。该公司称，其目标是减少训练淘汰率，限制不必要地进入强化训练的犬只数量，并实现更安全、更有效的任务。
Warhound also said it will work with the American Humane Society to safeguard the animals’ health and welfare. The company said its goal is to reduce training washouts, limit the number of dogs entering intensive training unnecessarily and enable safer, more effective missions.