Motorola Solutions to Acquire D-Fend Solutions, an Industry Leader in Counter-Drone Systems
AI Analysis
Motorola Solutions is acquiring D-Fend Solutions, a leading counter-drone technology provider, for $1.5 billion. This acquisition aims to bolster Motorola Solutions’ capabilities in airspace security and threat mitigation. The deal coincides with increased US legislative support for state and local law enforcement to counter drone threats.
Key Takeaways
- Motorola Solutions is acquiring D-Fend Solutions for $1.5 billion, expected to close in Q4 2026.
- D-Fend Solutions has deployments in over 30 countries and has experienced over 50% annual revenue growth.
- D-Fend’s technology focuses on safely overriding and redirecting rogue drones, avoiding collateral damage.
- The Safer Skies Act (part of the FY26 NDAA) authorizes state/local law enforcement to detect, track, and mitigate drone threats.
- The acquisition will leverage Motorola Solutions’ existing public safety, federal, and enterprise customer base.
Why It Matters
This acquisition signals a significant investment in the counter-UAS market, driven by the increasing threat of malicious drone activity. It demonstrates a shift towards enabling broader law enforcement capabilities in drone mitigation, beyond simple detection. The combination of Motorola Solutions’ reach and D-Fend’s technology will likely accelerate the deployment of advanced counter-drone systems.
Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire D-Fend Solutions (D-Fend), an industry leader in counter-drone technology, for a purchase price of $1.5 billion. D-Fend’s field proven technology is trusted by government, public safety and enterprise organizations, with thousands of deployments across more than 30 countries, with annual revenue growth of over 50% over the last three years and expected full year 2026 revenues of $185M.
Securing the airspace against unauthorized drones is a rapidly increasing global necessity, with an evolving regulatory landscape opening greater access to solutions. The Safer Skies Act, enacted as part of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, marks a significant shift by authorizing trained and certified state and local law enforcement to not only detect and track drones that pose a public safety risk, but also, where permitted, to safely mitigate those threats.
Consumer and commercial drones are increasingly used for malicious activities. D-Fend’s solution supports operational continuity for authorized drones to perform their assigned tasks, by isolating and safely removing rogue drones from the airspace. This helps avoid collateral damage and costly area-wide shutdowns.
“Rogue drones have transformed our skies into a landscape of unpredictable risk, where simple detection is no longer enough,” said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions. “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.”
“Joining Motorola Solutions allows us to accelerate our mission of securing the skies,” said Zohar Halachmi, chairman and CEO of D-Fend Solutions. “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.”
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. For highlights regarding the acquisition, please view the presentation on the Motorola Solutions Investor Relations website at www.motorolasolutions.com/investors.
About Motorola Solutions | Solving for safer Safety and security are at the heart of everything we do at Motorola Solutions. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Learn more about our commitment to innovating for a safer future for us all at www.motorolasolutions.com.
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