Right here’s the most recent drone firm that I’m watching extra intently now than ever: XTEND.
The Israeli-founded, Tampa-headquartered protection drone firm XTEND is in the course of a $1.5 billion merger with JFB Development Holdings, which is a Florida-based industrial and residential actual property growth and development firm. The merger will take XTEND public on Nasdaq beneath the ticker XTND in a deal anticipated to shut by mid-2026.
There’s quite a bit occurring with this firm when it comes to its partnerships and merchandise, however there’s another excuse I’m watching this firm. Among the many strategic traders backing that merger: Eric Trump, son of the sitting U.S. president. His brother Donald Trump Jr., in the meantime, is an investor in and advisory board member at Uncommon Machines, which is additionally a backer of the XTEND merger. That’s two Trump sons with their arms in the identical drone deal.
And for the reason that merger was introduced on February 17, the corporate has been transferring quick . Right here’s what it’s good to find out about XTEND.
Key moments in XTEND’s 2026 timeline thus far
Listed below are some key moments for XTEND this yr.
What XTEND truly does
XTEND was based in Tel Aviv in 2018 by brothers Aviv and Matteo Shapira alongside Rubi Lihani. Initially, it was as a gaming firm utilizing drone-based prolonged actuality for VR flight simulation. However as we’ve seen many firms pivot from client to navy, together with Skydio and Teal, the identical occurred right here.
For XTEND, October 7, 2023 modified the corporate’s course completely. CEO Aviv Shapira has mentioned publicly that the Hamas assaults made him understand his expertise might hold troopers out of hurt’s means, and the corporate pivoted into protection.
XTEND’s core product is the XTEND Working System (XOS), which is a software program platform that permits distant operators to manage a number of air, floor and maritime drones concurrently throughout complicated missions. Its flagship platform, the Scorpio 1000, is a modular AI-powered drone designed for multi-domain missions.
XTEND’s drones have been utilized by the Israeli navy in Gaza for functions together with mapping underground tunnels and utilizing robotic arms to hold explosives to blow open doorways, in line with Al Jazeera. In the meantime, XTEND says it has deployed over 10,000 programs throughout greater than 30 international locations, validated in 5 fight zones.
XTEND’s authorities contracts
XTEND’s $8.8 million U.S. authorities contract was accomplished March 23 and concerned supply to U.S. Particular Operations Forces with New Tools Coaching that included live-flight workouts and mission planning for as much as 30 operators.
Then there’s the Center East contract for $8 million with an choice to $25 million. That deal calls for five,000 programs with an possibility for 10,000 extra, however the buyer is opaque, recognized solely as “a authorities protection buyer within the Center East. The announcement was made on March 9, ten days into the U.S.-Israel battle with Iran.
XTEND’s new counter-drone functionality through ParaZero
One in all XTEND’s more moderen bulletins, the ParaZero partnership, provides a counter-drone functionality to the XTEND platform. ParaZero’s DefendAir system affords a net-launching platform designed to bodily seize hostile drones (relatively than destroy them). Built-in with XTEND’s Scorpio 1000 drone, the mixed system is designed to deal with autonomous interception from detection via seize (no want for a human to make every particular person resolution).
The Iran Struggle has demonstrated the problem of intercepting swarms of low cost Shahed drones. This net-launching platform might theoretically seize drones with out inciting explosive particles, and the ebnefits of interception versus purely destroying the drone is that there’s the chance for drone restoration and intelligence exploitation.
The Trump household ties
Ethics specialists have raised conflict-of-interest considerations concerning the Trump household’s private investments and whether or not relations are utilizing the presidency to advance their monetary pursuits. The FCC’s December 2025 ban on foreign-made drones — which successfully eliminated DJI and different international rivals from the U.S. market — was opposed by 97% of drone operators in a Pilot Institute survey of 8,056 pilots.
But, it’s been celebrated by many home producers and lobbying teams, together with AUVSI. The Trump household has monetary ties to at the least two of these home producers: Uncommon Machines (Donald Trump Jr.) and XTEND (Eric Trump).
XTEND is definitely a compelling firm to observe. It’s Israeli-founded, U.S.-headquartered, NDAA-compliant, battle-tested, Trump-backed, and going public at a $1.5 billion valuation in the course of an lively regional battle that has made its core expertise extra related than ever. Whether or not that convergence produces a sturdy protection firm or a well-timed itemizing is a query the subsequent twelve months will reply.
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