Ondas launches ONBERG JV
Ondas announced a European drone‑defence joint venture in Germany, launching ONBERG Autonomous Systems to pursue counter‑drone capabilities. (investing.com) Coverage from multiple outlets frames the move as part of growing transatlantic partnership models for autonomous and counter‑drone systems. (gurufocus.com)
Ondas and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen launched ONBERG Autonomous Systems in Germany on April 15, opening a European base for drone-defense production and deployment. (ir.ondas.com) The joint venture operates from Heidelberg’s facility in Brandenburg an der Havel and pairs Ondas Autonomous Systems technology with HD Advanced Technologies, a Heidelberg subsidiary. Ondas said the launch included a live demonstration for government officials and industry executives. (ir.ondas.com) Counter-drone systems are built to spot, track, and stop hostile aircraft before they reach a target, much like an air-defense system scaled down for small unmanned aircraft. Ondas and Heidelberg said ONBERG’s first market focus is Germany and Ukraine, with broader European expansion planned later. (ir.ondas.com, heidelberg.com) The companies formally created the venture on March 18, 2026, saying it would turn a December 2025 memorandum of understanding into a German production, sales, and development platform. Heidelberg said the agreement was signed in the presence of German Economics Minister Katherina Reiche. (ir.ondas.com, heidelberg.com) Ondas said ONBERG will market “battle-proven” systems including Iron Drone Raider and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms in its first phase. The longer-term plan is localized assembly and manufacturing in Germany using European supply chains. (ir.ondas.com, heidelberg.com) Heidelberg, best known for printing presses, is using the venture to expand its dual-use business into defense-adjacent manufacturing. Chief executive Jürgen Otto said Brandenburg an der Havel is intended to become a hub for scalable production of autonomous drone-defense systems. (heidelberg.com, ir.ondas.com) The pitch is tied to Europe’s push to protect power plants, transport networks, borders, and military sites from cheap drones used for surveillance, sabotage, and attacks. Heidelberg said Germany’s KRITIS critical-infrastructure framework is increasing pressure on operators to add protective systems. (ir.ondas.com, heidelberg.com) At the launch event on April 14 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Heidelberg said Brandenburg Minister-President Dietmar Woidke and Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor attended the demonstration. The companies framed ONBERG as a “made in Brandenburg” production base embedded in European supply chains. (heidelberg.com) The immediate test is whether ONBERG can turn a press-release partnership into contracts, local manufacturing, and field deployments in Germany and Ukraine. For now, Ondas and Heidelberg have moved the venture from memorandum to operating site in less than a month. (ir.ondas.com, ir.ondas.com)
