Motorola Solutions $MSI agreed to acquire D-Fend Solutions, an Israeli counter-drone technology company, for $1.5 billion, the company announced Monday.
The Israeli startup, which launched in 2016, has built its business around a technology that commandeers unauthorized drones while they are airborne by overriding their radio communications — an approach that avoids the signal disruption and physical destruction associated with jamming or kinetic takedowns, according to Reuters. EnforceAir, the company's primary product, has been put into service in upward of 30 nations — among them NATO member states — where it is used to secure military installations, airports, and other sensitive sites. Customers on the federal side include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Justice, according to Reuters.
Revenue at D-Fend has grown at an annual clip exceeding 50% for each of the past three years; Motorola Solutions said it expects the company to bring in $185 million for the full year 2026. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
Motorola Solutions chairman and CEO Greg Brown said in a statement that drone threats today require more than detection. "With D-Fend, drone threats are not just identified — their communications are overridden and redirected, safely bringing them to the ground, keeping people and communities safe," Brown said.
D-Fend chairman and CEO Zohar Halachmi said the acquisition would allow the company to expand its reach. "By leveraging Motorola Solutions' deep expertise and long-term customer relationships across public safety, federal and enterprise, we can deliver even greater impact to the communities and organizations we serve," Halachmi said in a statement.
A recently enacted U.S. law is helping drive demand for this type of technology. The Safer Skies Act, passed as part of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes trained and certified state and local law enforcement officers to detect, track, and, where permitted, neutralize drones that pose a public safety risk, the company said.
Adding D-Fend extends a strategy Motorola Solutions set in motion with its $4.4 billion acquisition of Silvus, a drone communications and networking firm, positioning the company to compete on both sides of the drone market — as a provider of drone technology and as a seller of tools designed to counter it, according to Reuters.
Research firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the counter-drone industry generated $2.47 billion in 2026 and forecasts that figure will climb to $8.42 billion within five years, according to Reuters. Motorola Solutions stock was up more than 2% on Monday.