Motorola Solutions buys Israeli drone defense startup D-Fend for $1.5 billion
Raanana-based firm uses radio waves to commandeer UAVs instead of jamming or intercepting them; system deployed in over 30 countries; described as largest-ever Israeli defense tech exit
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US tech giant Motorola Solutions announced Monday that it will buy Israeli drone defense startup D-Fend for $1.5 billion, as governments and critical infrastructure operators worldwide rush to defend against the growing threat of rogue drones.
Shares of the drone defense company were up more than 2 percent after the deal was announced, which Hebrew media described as the largest-ever sale of an Israeli defense company.
Founded in 2016 in central Raanana, D-Fend makes technology that uses radio waves to take control of rogue drones mid-flight, rather than disrupting signals or shooting them down. While it can defend against remotely operated drones, it would not work against UAVs guided by fiber-optic cables, such as the ones Hezbollah has employed against Israel in recent weeks to deadly effect.
Its flagship product, EnforceAir, is deployed in over 30 countries including NATO members to protect military zones, airports and critical infrastructure. Its tech is also used by the US departments of Homeland Security, Defense and Justice.
Attacks on key infrastructure such as data centers in the US-Israeli war with Iran and airport shutdowns across Europe caused by rogue Russian drones have recently shown the need for systems that can intercept drones without jamming communications or causing damage.
The Safer Skies Act, a US law passed last year, allows certified state and local police officers to actively hijack and safely land unauthorized drones, creating a new market for drone-takeover tools such as D-Fend.
Today we announced our plans to acquire @DFendSolutions, an industry leader in counter-drone technology. D-Fend pioneers the next frontier of airspace security, leveraging advanced non-kinetic RF cyber-takeover technology: https://t.co/8aJDDj3ERQ#CounterDrone #AirspaceSecurity pic.twitter.com/G0Jlgy6e3y
— Motorola Solutions (@MotoSolutions) June 1, 2026
“Rogue drones have transformed our skies into a landscape of unpredictable risk, where simple detection is no longer enough,” Motorola Solutions CEO and chairman Greg Brown said in a statement on Monday.
The company said the D-Fend deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. D-Fend has posted annual revenue growth of more than 50% over the last three years, with full-year 2026 revenue expected to be $185 million, Motorola Solutions said. The company was last valued at around $200 million in 2024, according to estimates reported by the Haaretz daily.
According to the Globes business newspaper, D-Fend’s 200-plus employees will move to Motorola Solutions when the deal is finalized later this year.
The deal builds on Motorola Solutions’ $4.4 billion deal last year for Silvus, which provides secure communications and networking for drones, giving it both drone and anti-drone capabilities.
The anti-drone market was valued at $2.47 billion in 2026, and is projected to reach $8.42 billion by 2031, according to research firm Mordor Intelligence.
The Times of Israel Community.