XTEND Among Companies Selected for Phase II of U.S. Department of Defense Drone Dominance Program

Palm Beach, Florida, June 3rd, 2026, FinanceWire

XTEND, an AI-powered autonomous robotics company preparing to go public through a proposed merger with Nasdaq-listed JFB Construction Holdings (NASDAQ: JFB), has been selected among a limited group of companies invited to participate in the Phase II Qualifier of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Drone Dominance Program (DDP). The announcement, made via GlobeNewswire on May 28, 2026, underscores XTEND’s growing profile within the U.S. defense technology ecosystem at a pivotal moment ahead of its anticipated public listing.

What Is the Drone Dominance Program?

The Drone Dominance Program is a large-scale U.S. defense initiative designed to accelerate the deployment of next-generation autonomous drone technologies across the American military. According to public statements released by the program, the DDP is intended to support the procurement of more than 200,000 drones by 2027 for deployment across complex operational environments.

The program has been described as a “presidential priority” within President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal year 2027. As one of the largest emerging U.S. initiatives focused on accelerating the deployment and domestic scaling of autonomous drone systems, the DDP represents a substantial potential addressable market for qualifying technology providers.

XTEND Advances to Phase II: What This Means

XTEND was selected among a limited group of companies invited to participate in the next phase of the DDP, which is expected to take place this summer at Camp Grayling, Michigan. The Phase II qualifier event is expected to evaluate autonomous systems across complex operational scenarios and contested mission environments — conditions where XTEND’s technology has previously been validated.

During the qualifier, XTEND expects to demonstrate its proprietary XOS (XTEND Operating System), which powers human-guided autonomous platforms designed for defense, national security, and public safety missions. XOS is engineered to enable scalable human-guided autonomous operations across complex and contested environments — the exact conditions being evaluated by the DoD.

Leadership Commentary

Aviv Shapira, Co-Founder and CEO of XTEND, stated: “Modern operational environments require autonomous systems that can scale rapidly, operate reliably in contested conditions, and help keep operators out of harm’s way. We believe our participation in the next phase of the Drone Dominance Program reflects the growing importance of AI-powered autonomy, human-guided mission systems, and scalable operational robotics within the future U.S. defense ecosystem.”

Joseph F. Basile, III, CEO of JFB Construction Holdings, added: “XTEND’s advancement into the next phase of the Drone Dominance Program represents meaningful validation of the company’s autonomous systems, operational capabilities, and growing role within the U.S. defense ecosystem. We believe this initiative reflects the Department of Defense’s increasing focus on scalable autonomous technologies, and XTEND is well positioned to support that evolving operational need.”

About XTEND: Operational Credentials

XTEND is a leader in software systems and AI-powered robotics, deployed in high-threat, complex operational environments where human exposure carries significant risk. Key operational and technical credentials include:

• Over 10,000 systems deployed across more than 30 countries

• Validated in five active combat zones

• Operationally deployed by national defense organizations, special-mission units, and security agencies globally

• NDAA-compliant solutions delivered through a global network of XFAB manufacturing facilities in the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Israel, and Latvia

• Open-architecture XOS platform facilitates scalability across defense, law enforcement, and private security applications

The JFB Merger: Path to Public Markets

As announced on February 17, 2026, JFB Construction Holdings (Nasdaq: JFB) and XTEND entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction. The business combination is further supported by strategic investments from Eric Trump, Unusual Machines, American Ventures, LLC, Protego Ventures, and Aliya Capital. Following the closing of the business combination, the combined company is expected to be renamed XTEND AI Robotics and listed on a U.S. national securities exchange under the ticker symbol “XTND.” The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026.

XTEND’s Phase II selection in the Drone Dominance Program arrives at a strategically significant juncture — just weeks before the anticipated public debut of the combined entity. The DoD selection may serve as a meaningful catalyst for investor attention as the merger proceeds toward closing. Among the publicly traded companies operating within the same defense autonomous systems ecosystem, several names warrant investor attention alongside the XTEND/JFB story. Unusual Machines (NYSE: UMAC), one of the strategic investors directly backing the JFB/XTEND business combination, produces NDAA-compliant domestic drone components aligned with the same DoD procurement priorities driving the Drone Dominance Program. Kratos Defense (Nasdaq: KTOS), focused on low-cost combat-capable unmanned aircraft, was selected alongside Northrop Grumman to deliver the Marine Corps' first drone wingman program under the MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative. AeroVironment (Nasdaq: AVAV), the benchmark large-cap name in U.S. military small UAS with its Switchblade and Puma platforms, offers investors a widely followed sector reference point within the broader defense autonomous systems theme.

DISCLAIMER & COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE

This communication is a paid promotional investor awareness advertisement and should not be considered independent financial research, analyst coverage, or investment advice. USAStockReport.com and/or its parent, affiliate, or publishing entity Akchirpy Media LLP has received compensation of up to $6,750 via wire from FinnCom, Inc. for content creation, marketing, advertising, and distribution services relating to JFB Construction Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: JFB) during the period of May and June 2026. No stock, options, warrants, or other securities compensation has been received. Neither USAStockReport.com, Akchirpy Media LLP, nor any of their owners, employees, contractors, or affiliates are registered broker-dealers, investment advisers, or securities analysts with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities regulator. This communication relates to a proposed transaction between JFB Construction Holdings, Inc. ("JFB") and XTEND AI Robotics Ltd. ("XTEND"). The proposed transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory review, approvals, and definitive documentation, and there can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed on the anticipated terms or at all. In connection with the proposed transaction, JFB expects to file relevant materials with the SEC, including registration statements, proxy materials, and/or other offering documents as applicable. Investors and security holders are strongly encouraged to read these materials when they become available. Copies of SEC filings may be obtained free of charge from the SEC EDGAR database at www.sec.gov. Information contained in this communication is derived from publicly available sources, including SEC filings, company press releases, and public disclosures believed to be reliable; however, such information has not been independently verified by the publisher, and no representation or warranty is made regarding its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. This communication should not be relied upon as a substitute for reviewing original source documents. This communication may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and estimates and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include, without limitation, failure to complete the proposed transaction, regulatory or shareholder approval risks, financing risks, changing market conditions, competitive pressures, geopolitical developments, defense procurement uncertainty, and other risks described in SEC filings. No obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements except as required by law. This communication is for informational advertising and investor awareness purposes only. Nothing contained herein constitutes investment advice, securities research, a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security, or legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. Investing in securities involves substantial risk, including possible total loss of capital. Readers should conduct their own independent due diligence and consult qualified financial professionals before making any investment decision. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where such offer or sale would be unlawful. The information contained in this article is derived exclusively from public press releases, SEC filings, and other official disclosures issued by JFB Construction Holdings, Inc. and XTEND AI Robotics Ltd. The information contained in this article is derived exclusively from public press releases, SEC filings, and other official disclosures issued by JFB Construction Holdings, Inc. and XTEND AI Robotics Ltd. No independent verification has been performed by the publisher. This content has been reviewed and approved for distribution by FinnCom, Inc., the compensating third party.

Sources: 

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/xtend-secures-seven-figure-defense-123000001.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/jfb-announces-xtend-uk-expansion-123000053.html

https://money.usnews.com/investing/articles/best-drone-stocks-to-buy

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-us-drone-company-funding-cadef1f7

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/eric-trump-invests-israeli-drone-maker-xtends-merger-with-florida-construction-2026-02-17/

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