Florida startup bets on cheap drone interceptors for Middle East drone war

Florida’s Powerus won a $22.3 million contract to supply Guardian drone interceptors to protect Middle Eastern oil and gas infrastructure from drones; each interceptor costs about $5,000, is derived from a Ukrainian design, and can reach 340 kph with a 15 km range and 28 minutes endurance. Production at an UAE facility is about 3,000 units per month, with plans to scale to 15,000 per month by mid-2027 to meet surging demand and help establish sovereign capability, though the system cannot counter ballistic missiles like PAC-3.