Drone defence and security company DroneShield (ASX: DRO) has secured a significant contract from the United States Air Force for counter-drone systems to be installed at their North Dakota air base. 

The contracts valued at USD $200,000 are not majorly material for the Company, however there is the potential opportunity to secure further business from the U.S. Air Force if expanded beyond the 319th Security Forces Squadron of the USAF (the “319th SFS”) which protects the base.

“This is DroneShield’s first U.S. Air Force deployment. We are immensely proud that the U.S. Air Force, one of the most demanding customers in the world, chose to deploy DroneShield’s flagship, fixed site detect-and-defeat system, incorporating our new RfOne MKIITM sensors,” said DroneShield CEO, Oleg Vornik.

“The USAF has a substantial requirement for the protection of its bases, in the US and forward deployments, and we look forward to continuing to support the service members and the expanded rollout of our solutions for their protection.”

“In addition to our other recent work for the US military and government sector, a key market for us, the need for DroneShield’s industry-leading Counter-UAS solutions is expected to grow rapidly as global tensions continue to increase and the drone threat proliferates.” 

The systems purchased feature DroneShield’s radio frequency direction finding sensors which can detect small drones. The system also includes the Company’s DroneCannon™  which can neutralise identified drones in the area through electronic countermeasures.

Securing their first U.S Air Force contract follows on from a sound June quarter where DroneShield reported their first breakeven quarter, having spent significant funds over past years on research and development. 

DroneShield currently serves customers in more than 100 different countries. Among their more notable clients are the U.S Department of Defence, Australian Department of Defence, Middle Eastern Ministry of Defence and European Police Force. 

DRO shares responded well to news of the U.S. Air Force contact to reach a high of $0.15 in morning trade, a rise of 30% on their previous $0.115 close.