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AIRO and Nord-Drone Execute Joint Venture to Deliver Battlefield-Tested Drone Technologies Across U.S., NATO, and Ukraine Defense Forces

Business

AIRO and Nord-Drone Execute Joint Venture to Deliver Battlefield-Tested Drone Technologies Across U.S., NATO, and Ukraine Defense Forces
Business

Business

AIRO and Nord-Drone Execute Joint Venture to Deliver Battlefield-Tested Drone Technologies Across U.S., NATO, and Ukraine Defense Forces

2025-11-14 19:31 Last Updated At:11-15 12:41

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 14, 2025--

AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AIRO), through its wholly owned subsidiary AIRO Drone, LLC, and Nord-Drone LLC, through its affiliate company Nord Drone Group, LLC (“NDG”), have executed a definitive agreement to create AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC, a transatlantic defense joint venture combining AIRO’s U.S.-based manufacturing and procurement expertise with NDG’s combat-proven technologies and European production capabilities. The joint venture will leverage existing infrastructure to accelerate deployment of drones supporting current U.S. and NATO operational requirements. The formation of the joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions, including satisfaction of applicable regulatory requirements and other conditions precedent set forth in the definitive agreement.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251114671675/en/

The Nord-Drone group of companies currently produces approximately 4,000 drones per month—including FPV strike units, loitering munitions, and multi-role bombers—with scalability supported by established facilities and defense relationships. Its flagship models, NORD-10 and NORD-15, offer ranges up to 15 km and payloads up to 4.5 kg, featuring advanced GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou navigation and proprietary control systems.

The joint venture intends to prioritize rapid production and deployment of combat-proven drones that directly support current U.S. and NATO defense directives. By combining AIRO’s advanced aerospace manufacturing capabilities with NDG’s high-volume, battlefield-tested platforms, AIRO Nord-Drone LLC will deliver interoperable, mission-ready solutions for tactical reconnaissance, loitering munitions, and advanced combat operations.

“This joint venture represents a significant milestone in delivering proven, battlefield-tested technology to our allies when it matters most,” said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO. “Together with Nord Drone Group, we are creating a transatlantic defense platform capable of scaling rapidly to meet urgent operational requirements.”

“Our partnership with AIRO establishes a powerful framework to extend our combat-proven technologies to serve U.S. and NATO defense forces,” said Dr.Yevgen Kotukh, CEO of NDG. “By integrating Nord Drone Group’s engineering excellence with AIRO’s manufacturing and procurement expertise, we can accelerate production while maintaining the quality and performance that define our systems.”

Joe Burns, CEO of AIRO, added: “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to supporting allied defense efforts through innovation, scale, and strategic coordination.”

The joint venture will serve urgent operational needs across key defense markets, including the United States, Ukraine, NATO member countries, and other mutually agreed territories. It will support both immediate conflict response and modernization initiatives.

About AIRO

AIRO Group Holdings is a next-generation aerospace and advanced air mobility platform driving innovation in defense and commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, VA, with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Denmark, AIRO combines global reach with deep technical expertise. Through a vertically integrated model and a differentiated technology portfolio, AIRO delivers solutions across four high-growth segments: Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility.

Forward Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “designed to,” or “anticipates,” or similar expressions which concern our strategy, plans, projections or intentions. These forward-looking statements may be included throughout this press release, and include, but are not limited to, AIRO’s expectations regarding the formation and closing of the AIRO Nord-Drone, LLC joint venture, the anticipated benefits of the joint venture, the development and deployment of combat-proven drone technologies, future collaboration outcomes with Nord Drone Group LLC, production and manufacturing capabilities, market opportunities in defense markets including the United States, Ukraine, and NATO member countries, and AIRO’s ability to deliver mission-ready solutions for tactical reconnaissance, loitering munitions, and advanced combat operations. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact or guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in AIRO’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 13, 2025 as well as other filings AIRO may make with the SEC in the future. Forward-looking statements represent AIRO’s management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made. AIRO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Nord Drone in Flight

Nord Drone in Flight

Jamahl Mosley was fired as coach of the Orlando Magic on Monday, paying the widely expected price after the team blew a 3-1 series lead and got eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity pending the team announcement.

It was Orlando’s third consecutive first-round playoff exit, and easily the most disappointing. Not only did the eighth-seeded Magic lose all three chances to upset the top-seeded Pistons, but one of those games saw Orlando have a 24-point second-half lead at home and still lose. Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots in that Game 6 loss on Friday, getting booed by fans when it was over.

That loss probably was the one that sealed Mosley’s fate, even though the loss in Game 7 at Detroit on Sunday was the one that ended the season.

Mosley is the third-winningest coach in Magic history, his 189 wins behind only Brian Hill (267) and Stan Van Gundy (259). He inherited a team that was in the early stages of a rebuild, with Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs entering the league as rookies in his first season and then the Magic winning the lottery to draft Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall before Mosley’s second season.

Orlando won 22 games in Mosley’s first season, improved to 34-48 in Year 2 and has been .500 or better in all three seasons since — 47-35 in 2023-24, 41-41 last season and 45-37 this season.

That makes the Magic one of 10 teams — Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma City are the others — to have not finished below .500 in any of the last three seasons.

It wasn’t enough. And with much of the team’s core — Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Desmond Bane and more — under contract for the foreseeable future, the Magic clearly felt the best way to shake things up was to bring in a new coach.

“It’s been absolutely amazing journey with these guys,” Mosley said. “Their ability to grow, communicate ... we’re going to fight until the final horn goes off. And that’s what you’ve seen for a majority of the five years.”

It is a roster in need of upgrading in some ways, shooting perhaps foremost among them after Orlando was only 27th in the 30-team league in 3-point percentage this season. Injuries have also been a major issue for the Magic, including in the playoffs — with Wagner unable to play in the final three games, all losses, against Detroit.

Mosley’s job security was a talking point for much of the season, especially amid reports that he and Banchero were not on the same page. In March, Banchero acknowledged that were some moments of conflict — but thought Orlando was better for going through that.

“We’re both competitors,” Banchero said when asked then about his relationship with Mosley. “There were times where I was frustrated and I wasn’t playing as well as I think I should be. But it never became me pointing the finger at him or being disrespectful. It was all constructive; he’s talking to me, I’m talking to him. And winning, it cures everything.”

Evidently, there wasn’t enough winning.

Mosley had two seasons left on an extension that he and the Magic agreed on in March 2024. The team lauded his “preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off” when announcing that deal.

Barely two years later, he and the Magic were parting ways.

Only seven coaches have been in their current jobs longer than Mosley was with Orlando — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (hired in 2008), Golden State’s Steve Kerr (2014), the Clippers’ Tyronn Lue (2020), Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault (2020), Minnesota’s Chris Finch (2021), Indiana’s Rick Carlisle (2021) and Dallas’ Jason Kidd (2021).

Mosley spent 15 years as an assistant in Denver, Cleveland and Dallas — and was often mentioned as a candidate for head-coaching jobs around the league over that span — before Orlando hired him. He had a long relationship with Magic basketball operations president Jeff Weltman, who first took note of Mosley when they worked together with the Nuggets.

Mosley was the 14th coach in Magic history, the 15th if counting Billy Donovan — who accepted the job in 2007, then had second thoughts and returned to the University of Florida. Donovan just left the Chicago Bulls after six seasons as their coach, which sparked speculation that he could be the frontrunner in Orlando if the Magic indeed would be moving on from Mosley.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts to his team during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts to his team during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley directs his team against the Detroit Pistons during the first half in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley directs his team against the Detroit Pistons during the first half in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts at referee Curtis Blair (74) during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley shouts at referee Curtis Blair (74) during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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