US Defense Giant Onex Builds Israeli Tech Empire to Create Unified Autonomous Combat Force

Onex, a US-based defense technology company headquartered in Florida and publicly traded on NASDAQ with a valuation exceeding $4 billion, has acquired around 15 defense-tech firms, mostly Israeli, for hundreds of millions of dollars. These acquisitions include notable companies such as iRobotics, Roboteam, Sentrycs, Bird, and Omnisis. Recently, Onex appointed former Mossad chief Dedi Barnea as its president and chairman, signaling its ambitions to become a major player in the defense industry.

The company’s strategic goal is to integrate diverse technologies, autonomous drones, ground robots, sensors, and interception systems, into a single operational combat platform, which it calls "the system of systems." This unified force aims to meet the evolving demands of modern warfare, as highlighted by recent conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, where low-cost, lethal autonomous systems have become widely accessible.

Dr. Yehudit Hocherman Fromer, Onex’s Chief Technology Officer, explained that the future battlefield requires combining advanced robotics with human soldiers, where robots can clear paths, detect mines, and evacuate casualties while soldiers retain decision-making authority over lethal actions. She emphasized that fully autonomous lethal decisions are not desired.

A key focus is countering drone threats, especially fiber-optic controlled drones used by Hezbollah, which are resistant to traditional electronic warfare. Onex is developing multi-layered defense systems combining radar, optics, acoustics, and electronic and kinetic countermeasures. The company’s portfolio includes the Iron Drone interceptor, Probot and Rook ground robots capable of navigating difficult terrain, the Golem Detector for mine detection, and Sentrycs drone identification and takeover systems.

Onex has already secured defense contracts in Israel and the US but faces the challenge of transforming its collection of technologies into a cohesive, integrated operational system. Hocherman Fromer expressed confidence in the "endless potential" of combining these capabilities into comprehensive solutions, which could redefine future combat forces.