US Defense Drone Targeting 'New Defense Tech'.. Merger Drive for Trillions in Real Assets

On March 9, Ondas Inc. (ONDS) announced it has signed a merger agreement to acquire U.S. defense prime contractor Mistral Inc., securing a direct entry point into U.S. Department of Defense and public safety contracts, including those with the U.S. Army and Special Operations Command. On the same day, the company reported preliminary fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results that exceeded its previous guidance, reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $170–180 million (approximately KRW 2.2–2.3 trillion), and disclosed that its cash and cash equivalents stood at over $1.5 billion (about KRW 2 trillion) as of year-end. On February 11, Ondas also announced that it had granted CEO Eric Brock a sizable restricted stock unit (RSU) award to vest over multiple years.

On March 2, Ondas made a strategic investment of $10 million (around KRW 13 billion) in high-altitude balloon reconnaissance company World View and signed a partnership agreement to jointly develop multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) defense solutions. The company also revealed a strategic collaboration to adopt Palantir’s Foundry platform in 2025, aiming to build the data and AI infrastructure needed to streamline operations, supply chain management, and production efficiency within its autonomous drone division.

Ondas provides private industrial wireless communications solutions, autonomous drones and ground robots, and counter-drone technologies, serving critical infrastructure markets such as rail, energy, public safety, and defense. Upon completion of the Mistral merger, Ondas will be positioned as a prime contractor, directly participating in U.S. Department of Defense long-term IDIQ contracts valued at over $1 billion (about KRW 1.3 trillion), thereby broadening its footprint as a platform provider in the U.S. defense and security market.