Drones & UAV defence companies in Italy

Turin startup founded in 2019 developing CubeHAPS, a reusable high-altitude pseudo-satellite operating at 20 km for persistent Earth observation, ISR and telecommunications. Incubated by ESA BIC Turin and a finalist at Tech Tour Deeptech and Defence 2024.

Pordenone-based manufacturer of light aircraft and military UAVs since 1999, producing the Strix-DF and Strix-C mini tactical systems deployed by the Italian Air Force in Afghanistan. Acquired by RedFish LongTerm Capital in October 2025 for €4 million.

Vicenza company developing plug-and-play 4G and 5G tactical network modules for military vehicles, drones, tactical backpacks and naval platforms, with NATO interoperability and encrypted communications.

Verona company developing edge-AI hardware and software for defence and autonomous systems. Products include the Hephaestus processor for AI inference and training and the Eagle software stack, built without third-party components for European technological sovereignty.

Rome-based aerospace startup founded in 2017 developing reusable aerial target drones for cost-efficient counter-UAS training. Its AY-44Q Zombie platform withstands 10+ engagements before full overhaul, addressing the cost of live-fire C-UAS exercises.

Civitanavi Systems designs and manufactures inertial navigation, geo-reference and stabilization systems for defence, naval, land, air, space and industrial applications.

Italian counter-drone company that designed and manufactures the S.EN.T.IN.EL direction-finding system, covering 0-6 GHz and Wi-Fi 2.4/5.8 GHz bands to detect and classify commercial UAS. Has run C-UAS operations with the Italian Air Force, including protecting the Italy-Israel Nations League match.

Turin aerospace startup building POLARIS, a navigation module for UAVs operating in GNSS-denied environments, derived from autonomous lunar mobility work.

IDS Ingegneria dei Sistemi develops UAVs, unmanned surface vehicles, electromagnetic engineering tools and radar-based safety systems for aerospace, naval and security markets.

Varese manufacturer of RF communication and datalink systems for manned and unmanned aircraft, ground control stations and satcom. Founded in 1984 and supplies military and law enforcement customers.

Turin-area OEM designing and manufacturing multirotor and VTOL unmanned aerial systems with proprietary avionics and command software. Provides ISR for the Italian State Police and critical infrastructure inspection. Founded in 2006.

Turin space and defence startup developing wireless power transmission for satellites, lunar systems and drones using space-qualified lasers and beam control.

Terni-based manufacturer of tactical mini and micro UAS for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, founded in 2007 as a University of Perugia spin-off. Supplies the Italian Armed Forces, police, and civil protection with the SR-X1, SR-X4, and RADON-X platforms.

Builds fixed-wing tactical drones with electro-optical, infrared and synthetic aperture radar payloads for military and civil surveillance missions.

Milan Polytechnic spin-off developing laser-based wireless power beaming systems that deliver 200W over 3+km distances to drones, sensors, and underwater platforms. Won the Italian Navy DEEP LIGHT project award in 2026 for powering autonomous underwater systems.

Puglia company building autonomous robotics for defence across land, air and water, including the Cesare Q-UGV ground robot and the NEST drone system. Has taken part in NATO and Italian military exercises.

Milan deep-tech company that uses AI and multi-sensor fusion (ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, electromagnetic sensors) to map the subsurface. Its drone-mounted Remote Mine Detection System identifies anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and unexploded ordnance in real time and has been trialled in US Army field experiments.