AIRO Group has previously sold its RQ-35 and RQ-70 drones to NATO, but Monday’s announcement marks their first contract with the US government.

The US government has ordered a new tranche of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from AIRO Group Holdings—marking the entry of the McLean, Virginia-based company into the US market after years of sales in Europe.

AIRO announced the sale on Monday. It has not indicated which agency or department in the United States government has awarded it a contract. Nor has it disclosed the financial value or number of aircraft to be delivered.

Both drones were developed for organic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

In July, AIRO’s RQ-35 UAS was placed on the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Blue UAS List, clearing the system for procurement across US government agencies and paving the way for future contracts.

“We have tremendous confidence in our technology, our design and our manufacturing, and this order demonstrates it,” said Joe Burns, Chief Executive Officer of AIRO. “US government buyers hold drone suppliers to some of the most rigorous security and supply chain standards anywhere. The RQ-35 cleared that bar, and this first order is the proof.”

About the AIRO Group

Although this is the first contract for the company, AIRO Group has sold and delivered drones in the European market via its Danish subsidiary, Sky-Watch A/S. The RQ-35 Heidrun ISR drone has been adapted by multiple NATO members, including Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands—with many used or donated in support of Ukraine.

In addition, last month, NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) selected Sky-Watch under a framework agreement to further streamline production of the RQ-35 for acquisition among alliance nations.

“Many drone companies start in the US and work to prove themselves abroad. AIRO did the reverse,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO. “The RQ-35 earned its reputation with allied forces in real operations before it reached a US customer. That gives AIRO a position across US, NATO and allied markets that we intend to build on.”

In July, the Dutch military formally selected the RQ-35 for its army’s company-level reconnaissance platform. The lightweight, portable, fixed-wing mini-UAS can be hand-launched by a single operator and recovered via a high-precision deep stall landing.

The RQ-35 drone, which can be broken down and transported in a backpack or transport case, was engineered to operate reliably in electronic warfare (EW) environments and GPS-denied or “spoofed” areas. It is outfitted with high-resolution day/night electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) camera systems featuring up to 80x zoom capabilities. It offers up to 150 minutes of flight time and provides an effective line-of-sight range exceeding 50 km (31 miles).

The larger RQ-70 Diann is a long-range, deep ISR UAS that has an operational range of 100 km (62 miles) and offers up to eight hours of flight time. It has a 3.1 m (10.17 ft) wingspan in standard configuration, expandable to 4.5 m (14.76 m) in long-range configuration, but it can also be deployed in less than 15 minutes and hand-launched by a single operator.

The US Government Is Investing Heavily in Multipurpose ISR Drones

Drones are rapidly being adopted by nearly every sector of the US government, from national defense and federal law enforcement to local emergency management. There is no indication that this contract is military-related. Still, the Department of Defense (DoD) remains the largest overall operator, maintaining an estimated inventory of over 11,000 to 16,000 active unmanned aerial vehicles distributed across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

In addition, drones are widely utilized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) across all five of its primary law enforcement components: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), US Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including for border and domestic security by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The US Secret Service also deploys specialized tactical drone and counter-drone systems for protective air security.

Multiple non-military agencies use drones for data collection, land management, and research, according to a recent report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) that includes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Park Service (NPS).

The Blue USA List, which was first created by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) before the list transitioned to the DCMA in 2025, ensures drones comply with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—specifically Section 848 of the FY2020 NDAA and subsequent updates like the American Security Drone Act—which restricts the use of Chinese-manufactured or high-risk foreign drones in government operations.

To make the Blue UAS List, platforms and components undergo strict supply chain verification, cybersecurity penetration testing, software code evaluations, and continuous quarterly reviews. Once on the list, the drones are open to contracts from government agencies, military branches, and certain public safety or infrastructure entities without lengthy individual security waivers.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. He has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism, including Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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