
DroneShield soars as world seeks new tech defenses

There's a scene in every modern war film where the general asks: "What's our air superiority?" The answer used to involve fighter jets and missile systems - now it involves a US$200 drone bought on Alibaba carrying explosives into a fuel depot. Not kidding. Australian defense-tech outfit DroneShield (ASX: DRO) has spent the last decade preparing for this moment, and investors have been paying attention. The firm now has its AI-driven hardware in service across 70 countries, completing a transformation from garage startup to scaled defence contractor in 18 months.Catalysts convergeDroneShield actually topped the ASX 200 in September with a 41% gain. The Sydney-based counter-UAS manufacturer closed at A$5.68 on October 3, marking a 440% gain year-to-date and pushing market capitalisation to ~A$5 billion. H1 revenue hit A$72.3 million, up 210% year-over-year, while second-quarter sales reached A$38.8 million - a whopping 480% jump from Q2 2024. The financial beats were driven by three pivotal factors: First, inclusion in the ASX 200 during quarterly rebalancing brought in index fund money that provided a valuation floor for the stock. Second, the unveiling of expanded U.S. research and development operations show







