XTEND, the Tampa-based defense technology company preparing to go public through a $1.5 billion merger, said the British Army used its autonomous strike drones to complete what the company described as the service’s first validated long-range autonomous strike missions with live kinetic payloads.
The company announced Thursday that its SCORPIO 1000 systems supported Ex RHINO BIZZ, a British Army drone and electronic warfare exercise at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada. The exercise involved about 350 soldiers from the 16 Air Assault Brigade training under electronic warfare, contested communications and GPS-denied conditions.
According to XTEND, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment operated five SCORPIO 1000 systems without assistance from XTEND personnel.
XTEND said the systems were the only autonomous platforms authorized to carry live kinetic payloads during the exercise, enabling British soldiers to validate strike missions at ranges of 3.6 kilometers, 6.5 kilometers and 7.5 kilometers.
The exercise follows a demonstration earlier this year in which XTEND said it supported the first live firing of an uncrewed aerial system by British forces in U.K. airspace during training with the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment.
“Our collaboration with the British Army has progressed from an initial proof-of-concept demonstration to independent operational employment by frontline soldiers,” Ofer Shahaf, general manager of XTEND UK, said in a statement. “Progressing to Ex RHINO BIZZ reflects the confidence built through close collaboration with British defense stakeholders and our commitment to supporting the long-term modernization of allied forces through sovereign autonomous capabilities.”
The announcement follows several developments for XTEND this year as the company expands ahead of its planned public listing. TBBW previously reported that XTEND has begun deliveries under a defense contract valued at up to $25 million, secured a $1.67 million contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defense, advanced in the U.S. Department of Defense’s $1 billion Drone Dominance program and received a U.S. patent covering autonomous navigation technology for unmanned systems.
XTEND established its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation in Tampa in 2025, leasing more than 5,700 square feet at Crossroads Industrial Center with plans to create up to 100 jobs. The company develops AI-powered drones and robotic systems for defense, law enforcement and security applications and says it has deployed more than 10,000 systems in more than 30 countries.
XTEND plans to become a publicly traded company through its pending all-stock merger with JFB Construction Holdings. Following the transaction, the combined company is expected to operate as XTEND AI Robotics and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol XTND, subject to customary closing conditions.
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