Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Tuesday that it has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to Xtend to supply 5,000 first-person view (FPV) drones to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Ground Forces.
The Defense Procurement Directorate said the contract, managed by its Air and Naval Procurement Unit, is aimed at strengthening Israel’s defense industry while meeting the IDF’s operational needs. The actual cost of the contract was not disclosed.
Xtend’s FPV drone, with a 2.5-kilogram payload, is built for reconnaissance, targeting, and tactical operations in contested environments.
Hen Haim, general manager of Xtend, told The Jerusalem Post that the first units will arrive within two and a half months. “Our drones will go before the soldiers to reduce the risk to their lives,” she said.
Founded in 2018, Xtend develops human-guided autonomous systems that integrate VR/AR interfaces with AI. Its drones, initially developed for gaming, have been used to map tunnels in Gaza, intercept Hezbollah drones in northern Israel, and support operations targeting Iran, according to Haim.
Xtend is headquartered in Israel and also operates a production facility in Tampa, Florida, U.S.
