AIRO Group Holdings to Join Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes, Marking a New Era in Aerospace and Defense Innovation

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. & MONTREAL & STØVRING, Denmark & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRO) (“AIRO” or the “Company”), a global leader in advanced aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that it is expected to be added to the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes, effective before markets open on September 22, 2025. This inclusion reflects AIRO’s continued growth and increasing relevance in the public equity markets, and marks a significant milestone in the Company’s evolution.

Executive commentary

Captain Joe Burns, CEO of AIRO Group Holdings:

“Being added to the Russell indexes is a strong validation of the progress we’ve made as a company. Our second quarter performance highlighted the momentum we’re building across all of our business units. This milestone reflects the strength of our integrated aerospace platform and our ability to execute at scale. We’re energized by the road ahead and remain focused on delivering innovation and value to our shareholders.”

Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman:

“AIRO’s addition to the Russell indexes is more than a financial milestone—it’s a signal that the market is beginning to recognize the depth and breadth of our platform. We operate at the intersection of multiple high-growth domains, from electric air mobility and advanced avionics to defense training and drones. This visibility will help us connect with a broader investor base that shares our vision for transformative aerospace technologies and long-term value creation.”

Recent strategic partnerships and initiatives

AIRO continues to expand its global footprint and capabilities through key partnerships and operational milestones:

- U.S. Manufacturing Expansion: AIRO announced plans to open a new U.S.-based manufacturing and engineering facility to scale production of its RQ-35 Heidrun ISR drone. The facility is expected to support next-generation drone development and meet AS9100 aerospace quality standards for defense and commercial markets.

- Defense Training Contracts: The Company completed a specialized Naval Special Warfare training mission and launched new operations under multi-year IDIQ contracts. AIRO has secured over $30 million in defense awards to date, supporting JTAC programs and live-fire simulations across multiple U.S. states.

- Electric Cargo Drone Launch: Through its Electric Air Mobility segment, AIRO introduced a medium-lift cargo drone capable of transporting 250–500 lbs. over 200+ miles. Powered by Jaunt Air Mobility’s proprietary Slowed-Rotor Compound (SRC) technology, the drone targets middle-mile logistics applications with enhanced safety and performance.

- Canadian Expansion: AIRO expanded into Quebec’s YMX Innovation Zone, accelerating real-world testing, certification, and deployment of its electric air mobility solutions.

About AIRO

AIRO is a technologically differentiated aerospace, autonomy, and air mobility platform targeting 21st century aerospace and defense opportunities. AIRO is organized into four operating segments, each of which represents a critical growth vector in the aerospace and defense market: Drones, Avionics, Training, and Electric Air Mobility.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or “anticipates,” or similar expressions which concern our strategy, plans, projections or intentions. These forward-looking statements may be included throughout this press release, and include, but are not limited to, expected addition to Russell indexes, the expected capabilities of the Jaunt cargo drone, AIRO’s operational landscapes, demand for AIRO’s systems and products, AIRO’s plans for a manufacturing and engineering development facility, expectations concerning future products and developments, the market acceptance and opportunity of AIRO’s products and services, and other statements that are not historical fact. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact or guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in AIRO’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2025 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on August 13, 2025 as well as other filings AIRO may make with the SEC in the future. Forward-looking statements represent AIRO’s management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date such statements are made. AIRO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.