Sydney, Feb 10, 2026, 17:43 AEDT — Market closed
- DroneShield climbed 7.3% to finish at A$3.38, following the appointment of a new chief operating officer.
- Michael Powell, who previously worked at Thales Australia, was brought in to oversee operations.
- Market attention is turning to FY2025 results next week; calendars are marking Feb 19.
Shares of DroneShield Ltd jumped 7.3% to finish at A$3.38 on Tuesday after the Australian counter-drone firm tapped Michael Powell for the COO spot. The stock moved in a range from A$3.24 to A$3.39, with roughly 15.5 million shares traded, according to market data.
This is a crucial point for DroneShield: it’s not just about closing sales, but showing it can ramp up operations. Investors are eyeing delivery speeds, how many units roll off the line, and whether the company can match rising demand from defence and critical-infrastructure buyers.
Small, fast-growing defence suppliers know this drill: when orders hit, they’re often big, abrupt, and uneven. The challenge turns into ramping up inventory, hitting delivery windows, and managing costs as they go.
DroneShield announced Powell’s appointment after what it described as “accelerated expansion”—more happening across Europe and the US, plus added manufacturing muscle at its Alexandria, New South Wales site. In a statement, chief executive Oleg Vornik called Powell “a proven operator with deep experience delivering complex programs at global scale.” droneshield.com
Tuesday saw some renewed risk appetite, pushing the ASX 200 up slightly by mid-afternoon. Tech names bounced. DroneShield made the list of notable winners, according to IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.
Powell’s brief: keep production humming, supply chains tight, and prevent delivery or sustainment from slowing the expanding product line. DroneShield points to his 25-plus years in operational leadership, citing senior posts at Thales Australia and Knorr-Bremse.
Yet even with a new COO on board, major risks behind the stock’s volatility remain untouched. Shifting demand tracks with budget cycles and procurement schedules; plus, regulatory hurdles on some counter-drone “disruption” tools keep international sales complicated in key markets.
As Australia’s reporting season ramps up, traders have their eyes peeled for fresh numbers from the company. According to market calendars, DroneShield’s FY2025 results are penciled in for Feb 19, but those dates aren’t set in stone.
