Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) saw its stock climb 2% on Wednesday following an announcement that the American Robotics Optimus unmanned aerial system has been approved for accelerated federal procurement through inclusion on the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Blue UAS Cleared List.
The DCMA listing indicates the Optimus satisfies the Department of War's benchmarks for cybersecurity, supply-chain integrity, and operational reliability. That validation positions the autonomous platform to be considered more readily for deployment in defense missions and critical infrastructure roles.
The Blue UAS Cleared List functions as a centralized rapid acquisition marketplace for government users. By streamlining procurement pathways, the designation is intended to reduce acquisition friction and shorten contracting timelines for agencies seeking U.S.-compliant unmanned systems for national security tasks.
"This Blue List designation marks an important milestone for Ondas and American Robotics," said Eric Brock, Chairman and CEO of Ondas Holdings Inc. "It validates the Optimus drone as a secure, reliable, and operationally proven platform for defense use."
Technical features of the Optimus highlighted in the announcement include an automated drone-in-a-box dock engineered for continuous 24/7 operations. The system houses 11 onboard batteries and can carry up to nine mission payloads that are designed to be autonomously swapped between sorties. Those capabilities support extended endurance without direct human intervention while enabling persistent aerial coverage.
Ondas described the clearance as consistent with its strategic objective to provide scalable, compliant unmanned systems for government, defense, and infrastructure customers. The company framed the approval as aligning with growing demand for secure autonomous aerial capabilities in those sectors.
Contextual note: the announcement and market reaction are the only items reported here; no additional contract awards, orders, or deployment schedules were disclosed in the statement.