US defence group Ondas agrees to buy German aircraft maker Stemme

Florida-based Ondas Inc. announced on 5 November 2026 that it had signed a definitive agreement to buy 100% of Stemme GmbH in an all-cash deal. The purchase price was not disclosed. The sale has been agreed, but has not yet closed: Ondas expects completion in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

The reason for the deal is the airframe. Ondas Sentinel’s ULTRA uncrewed surveillance aircraft, already deployed by the US Air Force, is built on the composite airframe of Stemme’s type-certified S12 motor glider. Buying Stemme would bring that work in-house as Ondas aims to build 10 ULTRA aircraft a month by 2028. That is a production target, not an order total. Ondas says it plans to increase use of Stemme’s existing factories in Strausberg and Pasewalk while adding airframe production capacity in the United States.

For civilian owners, Stemme’s co-chief executives say the S12 will remain available to private buyers and that the company will continue its maintenance, refurbishment and aftermarket activities. They also say the ASP15 programme is moving ahead, without giving a timetable.