A drone-technology company has planted its first U.S. manufacturing flag in Phoenix, teaming up with a local contract manufacturer to build cybersecure datalink products for the American defense market. Mobilicom says it expects its first products to be manufactured domestically by the end of 2026.
The move, detailed in a company announcement reported by StreetInsider, marks what the company calls the establishment of its first U.S. manufacturing operations, according to a GlobeNewswire release. Mobilicom CEO Oren Elkayam framed the expansion as a way to scale production to meet growing customer demand, shorten delivery lead times and enhance supply chain resilience, per the same announcement. Mobilicom, which provides cybersecure solutions for drones and robotics, said it intends to align the new capacity with U.S. federal procurement and National Defense Authorization Act requirements.
Why Phoenix Won Out
The choice of Phoenix wasn't made in a vacuum. Mobilicom selected a Phoenix-based contract manufacturer with defense and aerospace experience.
Mobilicom's announcement also ties the Phoenix build-out to existing defense-program connections, saying its technologies have been integrated into a Tier-1 drone platform selected for a U.S. Department of War Program of Record. The company further states that its solutions are included in the FCC's initial Trusted Drones exemptions and the Department of War's Blue UAS Framework, and describes its cybersecure solutions as NDAA-compliant. Those are the company's own characterizations in its release.
This isn't Mobilicom's first announcement tied to American defense programs this year. Back in April, the company said it had secured $2.2 million in new purchase orders from a U.S. drone manufacturer for products used in drones supplied under a Department of War Program of Record, per the same GlobeNewswire channel.
Other U.S. Drone Manufacturing Plans
Defense News reports that the federal government has taken steps over the past year to expand the domestic small-drone industry, including a $450 million conditional Pentagon loan to Neros Technologies for expanded manufacturing of drone components. Neros says it will add another $165 million of its own money, bringing that company's total planned investment to $615 million, and that it will soon begin manufacturing surface-mount technology components for circuit boards in-house, according to the same Defense News report.
DRONELIFE reports that Skydio has outlined plans for a new manufacturing facility and more than $1 billion directed toward U.S. suppliers as part of a broader domestic investment push.
