Why the DroneShield (ASX:DRO) share price is lifting 6%

The DroneShield share price is lifting off today, up 6% in morning trade. We take a look at what's driving ASX investor interest.

Bernd Struben

Author bio Bernd Struben earned his BA in economics from the University of Michigan in 1991, with post-graduate studies in environmental economics at the University of Connecticut. Over the years he’s written about and analysed the tourism industry in the Caribbean; Europe’s commercial real estate markets; and, since moving to Australia in 2010, global and Aussie share markets. Bernd studies geopolitical and macroeconomic trends, alongside sector and company specific data, to gauge what he believes could be tomorrow's best investments. In his free time, you might find Bernd at the beach with his family or working on his next science fiction novel. Areas of expertise Australian and global share markets Macroeconomic and geopolitical trends Real estate Education Economics, University of Michigan Favorite investment quote "The four most dangerous words in investing are: 'This time it's different." — Sir John Templeton

Published February 24, 2021 11:27 am AEDT

DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares are taking off today after the company announced a new agreement with the United States Government. In morning trade, the DroneShield share price has lifted 6.06% to 17.5 cents.

Let's take a look at what the company reported.

flying asx share price represented by man flying remote control drone — Image source: Getty Images

What did DroneShield announce?

The DroneShield share price is on the rise today following the company's announcement it has entered into a new cooperative research and development agreement with the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.

The company said its multi-sensor unmanned aerial system (or drone, to the uninitiated) detection and mitigation capabilities will be at the centre of the research. Its DroneSentry and DroneSentry-C2 solutions for fixed and semi-fixed site applications will be the primary focus.

The DroneSentry system uses a range of sensors to identify and track drones, including radiofrequency, radar, EO/IR camera, and acoustics. The system uses DroneShield's AI-based "RF detection, long-range sensing, and expanded multi-sensor data fusion capabilities".

DroneSentry-C2 enables operators to deploy a complete drone detection and threat assessment capability to protect their fixed bases and critical infrastructure.

Commenting on the new agreement, DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornik said:

We are excited to work closely with DHS S&T [Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate] under this cooperative agreement to support end users throughout their agency and sub-agency partners. Our DroneSentry solution is at the forefront of fixed-site counter-UAS and partnerships like this one allow us to make further advancements that are most relevant to the end users and mission we serve.

DroneShield said it could not make revenue projections until the total value of the rolling agreement is known. Stay tuned for updates.

DroneShield share price snapshot

There have been plenty of ups and downs for shareholders over the past 12 months, with today's lift in the DroneShield share price bringing the one-year losses down to 7.9%. By comparison, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.4% over that same period.

Year to date, the DroneShield share price is down 2.8%.

Automatic Renewal

By taking up this offer, you will also be enrolled in our auto-renewal program, which is our way of making your ongoing subscription easier by ensuring uninterrupted service. Don't worry, though – you're not locked in, and can cancel your auto-renewal at any time before each 'anniversary' date without question or penalty.