WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 6, 2026, 07:10 EST
Ondas Inc announced March 4 that its Airobotics unit landed a $20 million initial order to kick off work on a national autonomous border-protection initiative, shifting a December tender award into hands-on execution. The following day, March 5, the drone-and-wireless firm named McKinsey senior partner David Chinn to the board of its Ondas Autonomous Systems division.
The update carries weight for Ondas—it’s the company’s first publicly announced order tied to a project management touts as a multi-year engine for growth. Back in January, Ondas signaled it expected 2025 revenue between $47.6 million and $49.6 million. By that measure, the new order is a big deal for a business of this size.
Ondas announced that Airobotics will take the prime contractor role on a border system project designed to deploy thousands of drones, supported by ground infrastructure and a command-and-control software layer. That core software will coordinate aircraft and responses. According to the company, the setup is built for nonstop border surveillance, capable of real-time reactions to threats either on the ground or coming in at low altitude.
On Dec. 3, the company announced it had secured the tender, outmaneuvering bigger defense contractors in a competitive selection, with expectations of an initial deal kicking off a two-year, multi-phase effort. Ondas said the order placed March 4 kicks development into high gear, moving straight into system integration and staggered rollout.
Eric Brock, Chief Executive, described the order as “an important milestone” as Ondas pivots to defense prime contracts, adding that the company is now pushing ahead with fast-tracked development and integration. Co-CEO Oshri Lugassy outlined plans to merge drone platforms, automated airbases, and centralized command into a single system. Ondas Inc.
Ondas, in a March 5 8-K filing, revealed Chinn’s appointment to the OAS board. The company noted Chinn’s experience spans over 20 years, advising governments, defense bodies, and tech firms on modernization efforts. He’s set to retire from McKinsey later this year, according to Ondas.
Chinn described OAS as putting together a “differentiated portfolio” of autonomous systems aimed squarely at practical defense and security needs. Executives at Ondas said bringing Chinn on board is expected to support their push into allied defense and national-security sectors. Ondas Inc.
Ondas bumped its 2026 revenue target up to between $170 million and $180 million back in January. Preliminary backlog for 2025 came in at $65.3 million as of Dec. 31, with the caveat that those numbers hadn’t yet been audited.
Ondas shares last traded at $10.49, handing the company a roughly $2.0 billion valuation. It’s pushing for growth in the defense-drone space, where rivals like AeroVironment, Kratos, and Red Cat are also active, each targeting unmanned systems at military or security buyers.
Still, execution risk hangs over the broader border project. Ondas hasn’t disclosed which government or country is behind the deal, only that the $20 million order marks the first step in a framework possibly involving several more phases, milestones, and future expansions. Back in January, Ondas said it would release full-year 2025 results in March.
