AIRO Group and Nord Drone Form Joint Venture to Accelerate Battlefield Drone Deployment
AIRO Group Holdings and Nord Drone have signed a letter of intent to establish a strategic joint venture that will enhance the production and deployment of combat-proven drone systems to U.S., Ukrainian, and NATO forces, addressing urgent defense needs with scalable battlefield technology.
AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRO) has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Nord Drone LLC to establish a strategic joint venture focused on accelerating the deployment of combat-proven unmanned aerial systems to the United States, Ukraine, and other NATO member countries. The partnership aims to combine AIRO's manufacturing oversight, R&D resources, and government procurement leadership with Nord Drone's proprietary drone technologies, production facilities, and defense ministry coordination.
This collaboration is expected to significantly broaden AIRO's defense and aerospace portfolio by integrating Nord Drone's high-volume, battlefield-proven drone systems. Nord Drone currently manufactures approximately 4,000 drones per month with scalability to 25,000 units with additional government support. Their systems include first-person view strike units, loitering munitions, and multi-role bombers that have consistently ranked among top performers in military evaluations. Flagship models like the NORD-10 and NORD-15 offer up to 15 km range, 4.5 kg payloads, and advanced GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou navigation systems.
The joint venture will enhance AIRO's existing capabilities, including the RQ-35 Heidrun which has demonstrated battlefield effectiveness with hundreds of thousands of flight hours and proven survivability in high-threat, GNSS/GPS-denied environments. By combining AIRO's U.S.-based manufacturing infrastructure with Nord Drone's scalable production capabilities and combat-tested technologies, the partnership will support a more diverse range of mission profiles from tactical reconnaissance to advanced combat-ready systems.
Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO, stated that this strategic partnership represents a significant opportunity to deliver proven, battlefield-tested technology to allies when they need it most. The collaboration will serve urgent operational needs across key defense markets including the United States, Ukraine, and NATO member countries, supporting both immediate conflict response and long-term modernization initiatives.
Yevgen Kotukh, CTO of Nord Drone, emphasized that the partnership will enable expansion of combat-proven technologies to serve U.S. and NATO forces while leveraging established manufacturing infrastructure. Joe Burns, CEO of AIRO, noted that the LOI represents the first step toward a joint venture that exemplifies commitment to supporting allied nations and their defense capabilities through proven technology, scalable manufacturing, and strategic market access.
The non-binding LOI is subject to customary conditions including mutual due diligence and regulatory review processes, with both companies agreeing to use good faith efforts to negotiate definitive documentation within 60 days. The joint venture is intended to create a powerful platform for delivering impactful solutions for critical defense applications to global defense clients.