Xtend Inaugurates Drone Manufacturing Facility in the U.S.

4 July, 2025

The production line, established in Tampa, Florida, will be capable of manufacturing thousands of drones per year. "Strengthening the national security of the United States."

Xtend, a Tel Aviv-based drone company, inaugurated a new production facility this week in Tampa, Florida. The plant spans 8,000 square meters and is located near MacDill Air Force Base, home to the headquarters of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), one of Xtend’s primary clients. The new facility has the capacity to produce several thousand drones per year across all of the company’s models and is expected to employ several dozen workers. Xtend also has the option to double the plant’s size in the future.

Production at the site is already underway, fulfilling an order placed in 2023 by the U.S. Department of Defense for hundreds of drones manufactured by Xtend. CEO Aviv Shapira told Tampa Bay’s Channel 13 that the proximity to SOCOM is no coincidence, noting that “SOCOM was our first client, and it remains the company’s largest customer since day one.”

The facility will serve as Xtend’s main manufacturing hub, supporting growing demand not only from U.S. defense agencies but also from NATO member states. “This will be a production arm capable of fulfilling orders worldwide,” said co-founder Rubi Liani in a statement to Techtime. Initially, the factory will focus on producing drones already ordered by the U.S. Department of Defense. Later on, it will expand to manufacture key components such as communication modules, motors, and controllers, which will be supplied to other drone manufacturers operating in the U.S.

During the inauguration ceremony, company representatives highlighted the plant’s importance for U.S. national security, aligning with the federal government’s current strategy to strengthen domestic supply chains. “We are not just building drones—we are building capabilities, resilience, and trust. This is a major milestone for Xtend in the United States,” said Shapira. The company also emphasized the strong support it received from local authorities in establishing the facility.

Xtend’s portfolio includes three drone models, all of which have been ordered by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Wolverine is a tactical multi-mission drone equipped with advanced surveillance and maneuvering capabilities, as well as a robotic arm that can lift and remove suspicious objects without destabilizing the drone. The Griffone is a lightweight interceptor drone, weighing just one kilogram, designed to neutralize small- to medium-sized drones. It can hover up to five kilometers away, reach speeds of 130 kilometers per hour, and intercept targets using a ramming arm. It is also compatible with external command and control systems.

The third model, Xtender, is a micro-tactical drone designed for operations in complex urban environments. Its unique capability lies in entering buildings, gathering intelligence, and exiting the scene undetected. The combination of these three platforms enables a wide range of mission profiles to be executed seamlessly from end to end.

All three drones are operated remotely via Xtend’s proprietary operating system, which allows users to control the drones using simple hand gestures—even during complex maneuvering. For example, to instruct a drone to enter a specific window or remove an explosive device, the operator simply points at the location and issues the command. The user interface leverages gaming and virtual reality technologies, giving the operator the sensation of seeing through the “eyes” of the drone. Thanks to this intuitive system, even untrained users can learn to operate the drones after just a few hours or days of instruction.

[In the photo: from the inauguration ceremony. Source: Xtend]

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Posted in: News

Posted in tags: Drones , Xtend

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