AIRO Group Holdings has secured its first contract with the U.S. government, opening a new market for the McLean, Virginia-based unmanned aircraft company after years of sales in Europe through its Danish subsidiary, Sky-Watch A/S.
AIRO announced the order on Monday but did not identify the federal agency or department that awarded it. The company also has not disclosed the contract’s financial value, the number of aircraft involved or which of its systems will be delivered. The announcement describes the purchase as a new tranche of unmanned aerial systems.
AIRO’s portfolio includes the RQ-35 and RQ-70, both developed for organic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The RQ-35 was added to the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Blue UAS List in July, making the system eligible for procurement across U.S. government agencies and creating a path to potential follow-on business.
“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.
The company said the RQ-35 had cleared demanding U.S. security and supply-chain requirements. That status is significant for foreign-developed or internationally supplied aircraft seeking American government sales, although the announcement did not provide details of the contract’s evaluation process or delivery schedule.
European defense sales preceded U.S. entry
Before the U.S. order, AIRO had supplied drones to European customers through Sky-Watch A/S. The RQ-35 Heidrun has been adapted by NATO members including Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The article said many of those aircraft have been used or donated in support of Ukraine, without providing a delivery total or identifying the units involved.
Last month, NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency selected Sky-Watch under a framework agreement intended to streamline future RQ-35 production for acquisition by alliance countries. A framework agreement is not, by itself, a disclosed quantity of aircraft or a confirmed delivery order.
| Item | Status reported |
|---|---|
| U.S. government order | Announced; awarding agency, value and quantity undisclosed |
| RQ-35 | Placed on the DCMA Blue UAS List in July |
| European sales | Delivered through Sky-Watch A/S to NATO-market customers |
| NATO framework | Sky-Watch selected by NSPA last month |
Company positions order as a market shift
AIRO Executive Chairman Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria said the company’s route to the U.S. market differed from that of many American drone businesses: its systems had first been sold to allied forces overseas. The company said it intends to build on that position across U.S., NATO and other allied markets.
“The RQ-35 earned its reputation with allied forces in real operations before it reached a US customer,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO.
The order gives AIRO a U.S. government customer, but the limited disclosure leaves the contract’s immediate production and revenue impact unclear. The announcement also did not state whether the purchase covers the RQ-35, the RQ-70 or both systems.
- First U.S. government contract: AIRO says the order marks its entry into the American government market.
- Contract details: The awarding agency, value, aircraft quantity and delivery schedule were not disclosed.
- Procurement status: The RQ-35 has been listed by DCMA for procurement across U.S. government agencies since July.
