Defense-focused Advisory Board also adds former USSOCOM Commander and former USSOCOM Acquisition Executive
STERLING, Va., February 28, 2024 — Dedrone, the global leader in airspace security, today announced a tripling in revenue and the closing of 16 new governmental contracts globally over the past year. The dual-use technology company has also created its Defense Advisory Board with General Richard D. Clarke (US Army, retired) and former Acquisition Executive for United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) James Smith as its inaugural members. Finally, Brigadier General James Bienlien (US Army, retired) has joined the company as Vice President of Defense. As counterdrone capabilities rise to a priority need in warfare, Dedrone is deepening its relationships with defense departments globally, including the United States Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
“Drones now play a crucial role in every modern conflict, and the war in Ukraine has shown that fast development cycles are key to a strong defense. Dedrone is uniquely qualified to be an agile mission partner for our clients with best-in-class AI/ML-driven software combined with modularly deployable tactical hardware to drive ultra-fast deployment, adoption and response to dynamic situations. This capability has led to our continued success in working with national defense organizations globally,” said Rob Campbell, General Manager of Dedrone Defense. “We are proud to have both Gen. Clarke and Jim Smith advising us as we strengthen our relationship with global defense ministries.”
In Ukraine, Dedrone has established itself as a trusted mission partner for airspace and national security, providing AI-enabled expeditionary solutions designed for the rapidly changing conditions of conflict. With the ability to iterate quickly with intelligence and data directly from theater, Dedrone can create even more robust ML models with short development cycles, especially when compared to legacy closed-loop DoD systems. To accelerate these advances even further, Dedrone recently opened an office in Denmark for real-time development and testing with access to the highest-end sensors and threat simulation capabilities. Further signaling this close and productive relationship, Dedrone is one of 15 inaugural signatories of the Ukraine Defence Industry Compact, providing the country with vital defense technology in its existential fight.
“There are no drones in our possession or nearby that cannot be detected by Dedrone. The startup time and UI of Dedrone are simply excellent,” said ‘Roman’, a communications expert in the Ukrainian Army. “The API is clear, and we were able to develop [integrations] to share information with other deployments in one day.”
The first members of Dedrone’s Defense Advisory Board and its new Vice President of Defense reflect the company’s growing relationships with the US DoD and other defense departments globally. Gen. Clarke served as the 12th Commander of USSOCOM, and prior to that, he was the Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
“As we’ve seen recently in conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East, the threat of drones is real, and it is here to stay. The need to quickly respond to changing capabilities and developments requires nations around the world to look for partners capable of handling the rapid pace of innovation. Dedrone has recently shown that capability with its tremendous work in Ukraine, and I am honored to join its Defense Advisory Board to offer my insights into how best to ensure these needed capabilities get into the hands of our warfighters, allies and partners,” said Gen. Clarke.
Smith is a former US DoD Senior Executive who served as the Acquisition Executive for USSOCOM from 2017 to 2023. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Director for Acquisition for USSOCOM after retiring from the Army with 27 years of active military service in 2013. Overall, he has over 30 years of leadership experience in the acquisition of state-of-the-art technologies for the DoD.
Finally, Brig. Gen. Bienlien is the former Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) and former Senior Commander, Natick Soldier Systems Center. His 30 years of service also included serving as the Chief of Staff, Army Futures Command, and in other positions related to military preparedness and the future of combat.
This momentum has led to a record number of 16 separate transactions with national defense organizations around the world, including the US DoD, where Dedrone has secured all necessary credentials to conduct specialized contract work. The company is collaborating with the DIU and other key DoD organizations to work on urgent requirements, based on the knowledge gained through its ongoing international engagements. To further ensure that its solutions reach critical areas, Dedrone recently became a member of the Global Special Operations Forces (GSOF) Foundation, a foundation connecting public and private stakeholders in SOF activities worldwide.
Dedrone is implemented across 32 countries and is used by five of the G-7 nation governments; 810+ sites, including 46+ airports and 60 stadiums; 14 US federal entities and 20 non-US governments. The company actively provides counterdrone solutions for some of the most high-profile events and organizations working with public safety entities to protect over 350 sites globally. Dedrone’s work to change the airspace security industry has received many accolades in the last year including being named to the CNBC Disruptor 50, Silicon Valley Defense Group NatSec100, three Platinum ASTOR Homeland Security 2023 awards and a Best Place to Work designation from Built In.
Dedrone is the world’s leader in smart airspace security. Hundreds of commercial, government and military customers around the world rely on Dedrone’s comprehensive, command and control (C2) solution to protect against the persistent and escalating threat from drones while enabling “good” drones to fly. By leveraging AI/ML, Dedrone is the only solution that provides continuous, autonomous interrogation and verification of drones that enables both multi-sensor and multi-mitigation options onto a single "pane-of-glass". Whether on-premise/air-gapped or in the cloud, Dedrone customers can easily detect, track, identify, analyze, and mitigate drone threats. Established in 2014, Dedrone is headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., and has offices in San Francisco, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Westerville, OH, Bristol, United Kingdom, Odense, Denmark and Kassel, Germany. For more information on drone-related activity visit our Global Incident Center or to reach our airspace security experts, visit http://www.dedrone.com/ and follow us on X, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.
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