- Zohar Halachmi will remain as D-Fend CEO and will lead Motorola’s counter-drone platform
- D-Fend’s technology takes control of drones rather than jamming or destroying them
- Motorola signed the definitive agreement May 31
Motorola Solutions has completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of D-Fend Solutions, adding counter-unmanned aerial system technology to a portfolio built around public safety communications.
Zohar Halachmi keeps his position as D-Fend CEO, Motorola Solutions said Thursday. Additionally, he will take on the role of senior vice president for counter-drone solutions at Motorola.
Motorola Solutions Finance EMEA, a company subsidiary, signed the definitive agreement on May 31, according to prospectus supplements the parent filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those filings anticipated a second-half closing and disclosed a $300 million term loan.
Counter-drone coordination is on the program at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Homeland Security Summit, set for Nov. 10 at the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia. A panel titled Safeguarding the Homeland: Coordination for Counter-UAS Operations will address the topic as part of a day focused on DHS priorities in AI, cyber defense and operational capabilities. Register now to hear directly from agency decision-makers.
How Does D-Fend’s Counter-Drone Technology Work?
D-Fend’s approach relies on radio frequency cyber-takeover. Rather than detecting a drone and then jamming it or shooting it down, the system identifies the aircraft, assumes control and directs it to land in a designated area.
Motorola said that method leaves local communications infrastructure and authorized drones undisturbed, avoiding the collateral damage and operational shutdowns that accompany other techniques.
D-Fend systems are fielded at airports, critical infrastructure sites, stadiums, military bases and borders in more than 30 countries.
Greg Brown, chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions, described the technology as a complement to the company’s existing ecosystem. Halachmi said the combination positions D-Fend to scale faster.
Motorola plans to fold the technology into its public safety products, giving frontline teams situational awareness and, where law permits, the ability to bring down unauthorized drones.
What Is Driving Counter-UAS Demand?
The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed Dec. 18, 2025, gives state and local authorities legal authority to track and mitigate drones that pose credible threats to certain facilities and events. Those officials previously had to route such cases through federal law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security has a $250 million Counter-UAS Grant Program funded through the July 2025 reconciliation bill and administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Executive Order 14305, signed June 6, 2025, directs work on domestic airspace protection.
The scale of the problem drew congressional attention last year. Testimony before the House Oversight Committee in June 2025 cited more than 350 drone incursions detected at 100 military installations during 2024, including a 17-day surveillance episode at Langley Air Force Base in December 2023.
