DroneShield Accelerates Expansion with Veteran COO to Meet Soaring Demand

Leadership addition positions the company for global scaling

Michael Powell has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. With more than 25 years of experience in defense and aerospace, Powell previously held senior roles at Thales Australia and Knorr-Bremse. His mandate is to expand worldwide manufacturing capacity and strengthen the resilience of the company?s supply networks.

CEO Oleg Vornik described the hire as a pivotal move to instill discipline and resilience into DroneShield?s growth plan. The focus will be on aligning engineering, production, and logistics to ensure that rising order volumes are delivered on time.

The facts at a glance

• New COO: Michael Powell (former Thales, Knorr-Bremse)
• Experience: Over 25 years in defense and critical infrastructure
• Financial backbone: AUD 95.6 million in revenue secured for 2026 (as of January)
• Capacity expansion: Manufacturing capability at the Alexandria, NSW site materially increased

Volatility, growth potential, and strategic momentum

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying DroneShield?

The timing of Powell?s appointment aligns with the company?s latest financials. In January, DroneShield disclosed secured revenue of AUD 95.6 million for the current year, marking a substantial rise from the year-ago start when orders were largely sparse. To handle the influx of demand, production capacity at the Alexandria facility in New South Wales has recently been expanded.

On the market, this mix of growth and consolidation has translated into noticeable activity. The shares closed at AUD 3.29 and have shown volatility over recent weeks. Over the past 90 days, the stock has gained roughly 30%, while the last month saw a decline of about 24%. Investors are weighing how quickly the company can convert theoretical orders into real profits.

Operational focus shifts squarely to execution

The company?s strategic emphasis now centers on delivering on its ambitions. After securing a position on the Australian Defence Force?s LAND 156 project in January and forming a European market partnership with Intelic, DroneShield has laid out a clear path for scaling. Powell will need to demonstrate that the company can move from serving a niche to becoming a reliable global industrial partner without operational friction, ensuring that expanding demand translates into timely, profitable outputs.

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