XTEND, the AI-powered autonomous robotics company merging with Nasdaq-listed JFB Construction Holdings, has secured approximately $9.0 million in defense orders to expand autonomous multi-drone operations for a Middle East defense customer. Announced on June 23, 2026, the award is the company's largest single regional program disclosed to date and arrives alongside two new U.S. and Israeli patents protecting its core drone navigation and control technology.
A software-defined autonomous network, not just drones
At the center of the deployment is XTEND's XOS operating system, which handles mission management, autonomous task execution and multi-system orchestration across robotic fleets while keeping operators in command of critical decisions. The funding supports mission-enabling technologies that improve the effectiveness, resilience and scalability of autonomous operations, letting a single operator supervise and coordinate larger fleets of air and ground systems.
"Our customers are not buying drones, they are deploying an autonomous operational network built on our software," said Aviv Shapira, co-founder and CEO of XTEND. "That is the future of autonomous defense, and XTEND is delivering it today." The program reflects surging demand across the region for software that coordinates multiple robotic systems as militaries expand unmanned fleets and confront mass-drone warfare.
Patents lock in contested-environment capabilities
The company disclosed two fresh patent grants. U.S. Patent No. 12,222,735 and its Israeli counterpart (No. 285095) cover continuously directing an unmanned vehicle to a user-marked destination independent of the surrounding environment, keeping systems locked on target when landmarks disappear and GPS is unavailable. They build on U.S. Patent No. 12,461,522, secured earlier in June, which protects precise UAV maneuvering under communication latency. Together the three patents guard two of the most operationally critical capabilities in contested autonomy: holding course when navigation is unreliable and maintaining control when communications fail.
A global backlog ahead of a public listing
The Middle East award caps a busy stretch for XTEND as it advances its all-stock combination with JFB Construction Holdings, after which the combined company expects to be renamed XTEND AI Robotics and list under the ticker "XTND." Since announcing the deal in February 2026, XTEND has booked an $8.25 million European drone program, a $3 million Asia-Pacific contract for more than 100 XOS-powered Scorpio systems, and a $1.67 million Israeli Ministry of Defense contract, while being selected for Phase II of the U.S. Department of Defense's Drone Dominance Program targeting more than 200,000 drones by 2027.
With over 10,000 systems deployed in more than 30 countries and validated across five combat zones, XTEND joins a wave of well-funded autonomy players reshaping defense procurement, from Allen Control Systems' counter-drone Bullfrog to Anduril's expanding border-security footprint. The company manufactures NDAA-compliant systems through regional XFAB facilities in the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Israel and Latvia.
Reporting based on coverage from XTEND, JFB Construction Holdings and GlobeNewswire.