XTEND
Israeli drone maker (defence industry) supplying FPV attack drones to the IDF and US forces; drones reportedly used in the killing of Yahya Sinwar
| XTEND
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Founder(s) | Aviv Shapira, Rubi Liani |
| Headquarters | Israel; Tampa, Florida, US |
| Industry | Drones and robotics (defence industry) |
XTEND is an Israeli drone company that supplies first-person-view (FPV) attack drones and drone control systems to the Israel Defense Forces and the US military. In August 2025 the Israeli Ministry of Defence said XTEND had won a tender "to supply thousands of FPV (First Person View) drones to the IDF Ground Forces".[1]
Founders and military links
Chief executive Aviv Shapira told Globes that he served "in the Air Force, for six years in the missile testing unit" (Israeli Air Force), then worked as a missile engineer at Israel Aerospace Industries and at Elbit Systems before moving to Thales in London. He said XTEND grew out of work in 2019 "on the Gaza border, who were dealing with incendiary balloons", and that "The army took down 4,000-5,000 incendiary balloons with our solution."[2] The company says co-founder and chief technology officer Reuven Liani "served as an officer in the Israeli Navy for 13 years".[3]
Israeli military contracts
Globes reported that the IDF tender was worth about NIS 20 million for 5,000 drones, and that it had been criticised by drone companies over its low unit price and because the specification included "a Chinese component, a video transmitter manufactured by a Hong Kong-based company".[4] Dr Danny Gold, head of the Defence Ministry's research directorate Maf’at, told Ynetnews that XTEND, "one of the companies that began its security work with Maf’at, supplied drones that were successfully used in combat during the war".[5]
Ynetnews also reported: "Foreign media have reported that an XTEND drone was used in the operation that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by locating and hovering over his position."[5]
US contracts
In November 2025 the Jerusalem Post reported that XTEND had won a contract from the US Department of Defense to develop and supply AI-enabled one-way attack drones for close-quarter combat under the Affordable Close Quarter Modular Effects FPV Drone Kits (ACQME-DK) programme, with production at its Tampa headquarters.[6]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Israel Ministry of Defense, Israel MOD to Procure Thousands of Drones from XTEND Worth Millions of Dollars, Israel Ministry of Defense, 20 August 2025.
- ↑ Drone-maker Aviv Shapira dreams of a Wall Street IPO, Globes.
- ↑ XTEND, Management Team, XTEND.
- ↑ Assaf Gilead, Xtend to supply Israeli army with 5,000 assault drones, Globes, 19 August 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tal Shahaf, Israeli firm XTEND, whose drones reportedly killed Sinwar, wins major US defense deal, Ynetnews, 12 November 2025.
- ↑ Anna Ahronheim, DoD contracts Israeli drone startup XTEND for combat drones, Jerusalem Post, 11 November 2025.