Company announces major U.S. expansion following closely on the heels of Australian and European expansion – a clear signal of DroneShield’s push to lead and reshape the global counter-drone landscape

Warrenton, Virginia – September 22, 2025 – DroneShield, a global leader in counter-uncrewed systems (CUxS) technology, today announces it is significantly expanding its research and development (R&D) operations in the United States.

This move emphasizes DroneShield’s commitment to expand its R&D and testing capabilities and will result in more than doubling its workforce in the U.S. Over 30% of the new roles will be dedicated to software development and further strengthening its artificial intelligence (AI) team and capabilities.

As part of this strategic investment, DroneShield will also double the square footage of its U.S. headquarters in Virginia, reinforcing its dedication to breakthrough technology and better positioning the team to meet rapidly growing global demand for advanced CUxS solutions.

This U.S. expansion follows the company’s recent announcement of its expansion of production facilities in Australia and new office established in the European Union. DroneShield’s global strategic investments are part of a concerted effort to broaden its international footprint and establish a stronger physical presence near customers in key markets.

“As we continue to scale our operations globally, this expansion in the U.S. plays a crucial role in enhancing our ability to innovate and deliver advanced solutions for the evolving defense industrial base right here in the U.S.,”said Matt McCrann, CEO of DroneShield LLC. “We’re investing in the future of defense, and our growing footprint and impact in the U.S. market directly supports that effort.”

The expanded U.S. facility will enable DroneShield to accelerate its product development cycles and better service its growing customer base. The addition of key personnel to the R&D team will help drive forward-thinking technological advancements and ensure the company remains responsive to the needs of its customers.

“We’re not just expanding our operations, we’re doubling down on our commitment to providing best-in-class counter-drone solutions,” said Tom Branstetter, Vice President of Sales and Business Development, DroneShield LLC. “This investment enables us to be more responsive to the growing needs of our U.S. customers across the various sectors we serve.”

Combined with expanded R&D and planned U.S. production initiatives, the robust growth positions DroneShield to support U.S. Department of Defense’s push for fast, risk-embracing acquisition of cutting-edge counter-drone solutions.

“Expanding our U.S. technology team strengthens our ability to support critical programs and deliver advanced solutions with greater speed and precision. This investment ensures end users benefit from responsive, real-time support and the depth of expertise required for mission success,” said DroneShield’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Angus Bean.

This expansion supports DroneShield’s bold strategy for global growth. With a commitment to innovation and leadership in counter-UxS technology, DroneShield is positioning itself to meet the increasing global demand for advancing security solutions. These strategic moves ensure that the company remains at the forefront of the industry, ready to address the evolving challenges of an interconnected and rapidly changing world.

DroneShield (ASX:DRO) is pleased to announce it has surpassed 4,000 systems sold worldwide with the receipt of a package of 2 standalone contracts totalling $7.9 million for handheld systems for delivery to the U.S. Department of Defense. DroneShield expects to deliver all equipment in Q4 2025, with cash payment expected in Q4 2025. No additional material conditions need to be satisfied. There is no obligation for any additional contracts from this customer.

DroneShield has previously received standalone orders from this customer. These repeat orders strengthen DroneShield’s position as a trusted provider of mission-critical solutions to address the growing challenge of drone threats on the modern battlefield and the civilian sector.

The latest orders build on existing Department of Defense programs already deploying DroneShield systems. With this milestone, more than 4,000 DroneShield solutions are now fielded globally, highlighting sustained end-user confidence and the solutions’ effectiveness in operational environments.

“Passing 4,000 systems in service is an important milestone for our team and our customers,” said Matt McCrann, U.S. CEO of DroneShield. “It underlines the performance and dependability of our solutions in the field, and the trust placed in DroneShield by those who rely on them.”

Image: DroneShield DroneGun Mk4 utilised by the U.S. Army at a training exercise

DroneShield’s handheld solutions form a cornerstone of its wider counter-drone portfolio, which spans dismounted, vehicle-mounted, and fixed-site solutions that fuse multiple sensors and effectors integrated through DroneShield’s advanced software. Together, they provide a layered defense architecture enabling operators to detect, track, identify, and defeat hostile drones with speed and precision. Customers enrolled into the SaaS-based AI software updates receive new firmware quarterly through the Company’s secure portal.

The entire order is expected to be fulfilled within 30 days from existing stock. This is important for this and other DroneShield customers due to their urgent operational requirements, and is an important factor of securing more orders.

The milestone comes as DroneShield reported a record 1H2025 revenue of $72.3 million (up 210% vs. 1H2024), 1H2025 Profit Before Tax of $5.2 million for the June 2025 period.

3Q25 recognised revenue to date (with significant additional deliveries and further revenue anticipated prior to September month end) is currently standing at $77 million and growing, already in excess of the previous two record quarters combined. The quarterly revenue and cash receipts will be released in October as part of the 3Q25 4C investor report.

DroneShield CEO, Oleg Vornik, commented, “As our customers seek to step up from their early small-scale evaluation purchases into full scale procurement, we are seeing rapidly rising customer demand. Counterdrone is still at its nascency with our customers requiring very significant additional purchases to progress to the required levels of counterdrone defence. DroneShield is a well regarded industry leader globally, and we expect to continue to benefit from this rising demand.”

Operational Excellence

The 4,000 devices sold, includes over 2,200 RfPatrols, produced by an Australian contract manufacturing partner, following rigorous in-house quality assurance testing. The RfPatrol has featured in multiple high-profile programs, including:

The Company’s all-time record $61.6 million European contract in mid-2025

The recent $5 million order for the Australian Government’s Land 156 Line of Effort 2 program, delivering handheld drone detection and neutralisation equipment to the Australian Defence Force

A $10.4 million contract to Ukraine in 2023, through the Australian Government’s only Ukraine counter-drone aid package

Image: DroneShield RfPatrol Mk2 utilised by the U.S. Army at a training exercise

The RfPatrol is a passive (non-emitting) lightweight, intuitive, and reliable drone detection device, designed to enhance situational awareness by alerting users to the presence of drones in real time, without requiring specialist training or complex setup. The device receives quarterly AI-firmware updates for customers enrolled into its SaaS plans. 

Production of the significant volume of the complex devices, underscores DroneShield’s advanced manufacturing and production capability, underpinned by a robust Australian supply chain. Around 85 per cent of the device’s components are sourced from local manufacturers across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

US and European-made versions of RfPatrol will be available in those markets from 2026, as the Company expects local production to further boost sales in those geographic segments. 

DroneShield remains focused on advancing its current and next-generation counter-drone technology solutions, leveraging export success, deep counter-drone technology expertise, and a strong manufacturing base, to deliver sustained growth.

Learn more at droneshield.com.