AIRO and Nord-Drone form joint venture to deploy battlefield-tested drone systems across US, NATO defense markets
MCLEAN, Va.–AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRO), through its wholly owned subsidiary AIRO Drone, LLC, and Nord-Drone LLC, through its affiliate company Nord Drone Group, LLC (“NDG”), have executed a definitive agreement to create AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC, a transatlantic defense joint venture combining AIRO’s U.S.-based manufacturing and procurement expertise with NDG’s combat-proven technologies and European production capabilities. The joint venture will leverage existing infrastructure to accelerate deployment of drones supporting current U.S. and NATO operational requirements. The formation of the joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions, including satisfaction of applicable regulatory requirements and other conditions precedent set forth in the definitive agreement.
Our partnership with AIRO establishes a powerful framework to extend our combat-proven technologies to serve U.S. and NATO defense forces,” said Dr. Yevgen Kotukh, CEO of NDG.
The Nord-Drone group of companies currently produces approximately 4,000 drones per month—including FPV strike units, loitering munitions, and multi-role bombers—with scalability supported by established facilities and defense relationships. Its flagship models, NORD-10 and NORD-15, offer ranges up to 15 km and payloads up to 4.5 kg, featuring advanced GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou navigation and proprietary control systems.
The joint venture intends to prioritize rapid production and deployment of combat-proven drones that directly support current U.S. and NATO defense directives. By combining AIRO’s advanced aerospace manufacturing capabilities with NDG’s high-volume, battlefield-tested platforms, AIRO Nord-Drone LLC will deliver interoperable, mission-ready solutions for tactical reconnaissance, loitering munitions, and advanced combat operations.
“This joint venture represents a significant milestone in delivering proven, battlefield-tested technology to our allies when it matters most,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO. “Together with Nord Drone Group, we are creating a transatlantic defense platform capable of scaling rapidly to meet urgent operational requirements.”
“Our partnership with AIRO establishes a powerful framework to extend our combat-proven technologies to serve U.S. and NATO defense forces,” said Dr. Yevgen Kotukh, CEO of NDG. “By integrating Nord Drone Group’s engineering excellence with AIRO’s manufacturing and procurement expertise, we can accelerate production while maintaining the quality and performance that define our systems.”
Joe Burns, CEO of AIRO, added: “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to supporting allied defense efforts through innovation, scale, and strategic coordination.”
The joint venture will serve urgent operational needs across key defense markets, including the United States, Ukraine, NATO member countries, and other mutually agreed territories. It will support both immediate conflict response and modernization initiatives.
About AIRO
AIRO Group Holdings is a next-generation aerospace and advanced air mobility platform driving innovation in defense and commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, VA, with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Denmark, AIRO combines global reach with deep technical expertise. Through a vertically integrated model and a differentiated technology portfolio, AIRO delivers solutions across four high-growth segments: Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility.
Forward Looking Statements
The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “designed to,” or “anticipates,” or similar expressions which concern our strategy, plans, projections or intentions. These forward-looking statements may be included throughout this press release, and include, but are not limited to, AIRO’s expectations regarding the formation and closing of the AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC joint venture, the anticipated benefits of the joint venture, the development and deployment of combat-proven drone technologies, future collaboration outcomes with Nord Drone Group LLC, production and manufacturing capabilities, market opportunities in defense markets including the United States, Ukraine, and NATO member countries, and AIRO’s ability to deliver mission-ready solutions for tactical reconnaissance, loitering munitions, and advanced combat operations. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact or guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in AIRO’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 13, 2025 as well as other filings AIRO may make with the SEC in the future. Forward-looking statements represent AIRO’s management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made. AIRO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
