Ondas secures Defense Department approval for its Optimus drone
Ondas Inc. (ONDS) said on Wednesday that its Optimus drone has been granted Blue List status by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), which means that it meets the Department of War's (DoW) "rigorous standards for cybersecurity, supply-chain integrity, and operational reliability."
The Optimus drone was manufactured by Ondas subsidiary American Robotics.
Receiving Blue List status means that the drone is now listed on the DoW's authoritative directory of approved, secure commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and components that are compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
Being NDAA-compliant involves several key guidelines, which includes having components that are manufactured through a supply chain limited to countries that are allies of the United States. There is an especially strict ban on components manufactured in China.
Ondas noted that the Blue List "creates a centralized rapid acquisition marketplace" which "enables agencies to reduce acquisition friction, accelerate contracting timelines, and more rapidly deploy this trusted, U.S.-compliant platform in national-security and critical-infrastructure missions."
The Optimus UAS includes an automated "drone-in-a-box dock" that is designed to support continuous 24/7 operations. The dock features 11 onboard batteries and up to nine mission payloads, allowing it to operate for an extended period of time without human intervention.
"This Blue List designation marks an important milestone for Ondas and American Robotics," Eric Brock, chairman and CEO of Ondas, said in a statement. "It validates the Optimus drone as a secure, reliable, and operationally proven platform for defense use.
“We remain focused on delivering trusted, dual-use autonomous systems designed to strengthen national security and enhance mission effectiveness."
Drone manufacturing became one of the hottest sectors last year after President Trump signed executive orders in June aimed at “unleashing American drone dominance.”
The drone-warfare market is expected to grow to $75 billion globally by 2035.
In November, Ondas made a $35 million strategic investment in Performance Drone Works (PDW), a manufacturer of advanced robotics for the defense sector that focuses on building UAS used in combat missions.
PDW has a 90K square foot manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama that has the capacity to manufacture up to 100K advanced drone systems a year that are NDAA-compliant.
Ondas said that its investment will support PDW's efforts to scale its manufacturing and delivery of drones to meet the increasing demand coming from the defense sector. It will also allow it to increase its engineering headcount and acquire critical components.
Ondas provides autonomous aerial and ground robot intelligence through its Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS) business unit and private wireless solutions through its Ondas Networks unit.
The company announced earlier this month that it has secured $10 million in new purchase orders from critical infrastructure operators and government security customers.
The orders are being made across its autonomous systems portfolio, including counter-UAS solutions, integrated autonomous drone systems and robotic ground platforms.
Ondas last week increased its revenue target to a range of $170 to $180 million, up from its previous target of $140 million. It also expects to report revenue of $27 to $29 million for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, 51% higher than the prior Q4 2025 revenue target.
Shares of ONDS have gained 25.7% to start the year.