AIRO’s RQ-35 Heidrun ISR Drone Added To U.S. Blue UAS List

About this update from Airo Group Holdings, Inc.

MCLEAN, Va., July 14, 2026 --( BUSINESS WIRE )--AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRO)("AIRO" or the "Company"), a next-generation aerospace and defense company, today announced that its RQ-35 Heidrun, developed through its drone brand, Sky-Watch, has been granted Blue UAS status by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). With this approval, the RQ-35 is recognized by the Department of War (DoW) as a secure, compliant unmanned aircraft system eligible for government and defense acquisition under NDAA requirements. Blue UAS designation confirms that a system meets DoW criteria for secure design, trusted supply chain sourcing, and reliable mission performance. For the RQ-35 Heidrun, this status establishes eligibility for defense and government acquisition, enabling qualified agencies to move efficiently from procurement review to field deployment across national security and critical infrastructure missions. Achieving Blue UAS certification represents a key milestone in AIRO's U.S. expansion strategy. It streamlines access to DoW and federal procurement channels, accelerating the Company's ability to compete for and secure U.S. defense contracts while supporting long-term revenue growth across domestic and international markets. "The RQ-35 has already earned its stripes in some of the toughest conditions a drone can face, and Blue UAS approval removes an important procurement hurdle, enabling U.S. defense and government customers to acquire a trusted, mission-proven ISR platform more efficiently," said AIRO Group CEO, Joe Burns. "As demand grows for trusted, NDAA-compliant systems, this designation puts a battle-tested platform directly in the hands of the people who need it most." The RQ-35 Heidrun brings a proven operational record to the U.S. defense market. Battle-tested, including active deployment in the Ukraine conflict, the RQ-35 drone has accumulated extensive flight hours in contested, GPS-denied, and electronically degraded environments. Capable of fully autonomous flight operations, the hand-launched RQ-35 delivers a 2.5-hour flight time with optionality for on-board AI capabilities and is designed for rapid deployment by a single operator. To meet growing U.S. demand, AIRO recently opened a manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona, which serves as its primary domestic hub for production, delivery, and lifecycle support. The facility is expected to reach full operational capacity later this year. With the Phoenix facility's growing domestic production capacity, the new Blue UAS designation strengthens AIRO's position as a vertically integrated, U.S.-based provider of trusted ISR solutions.

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