Former U.S. Defense Chief Secures Backing to Combat Cheap Drone Threats
West Palm Beach, Friday, 24 July 2026.
FPF Defense secured strategic funding to build low-cost, AI-enabled interceptors, addressing a critical military gap where multi-million dollar missiles are used to fight cheap attack drones.
A Strategic Alliance for Next-Generation Defense
On July 24, 2026, venture firm RSE Ventures and Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) announced a co-led strategic investment in FPF Defense, a pioneering defense-technology startup [1]. Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, FPF Defense is developing “SmartFlak,” an integrated counter-unmanned aircraft system (UAS) featuring the “Hammerhead” autonomous kinetic interceptor [1]. This next-generation system is engineered to counter the global threat of mass-produced, low-cost, one-way attack drones, such as Shahed-class drones, which have increasingly redefined modern conflict [1].
The primary objective of the SmartFlak system is to resolve a critical economic imbalance in modern warfare, known as the cost-asymmetry gap [1]. Currently, adversaries can manufacture and deploy one-way attack drones for approximately $50,000 each, whereas defending forces frequently rely on legacy missile interceptors that cost millions of dollars per shot [1]. FPF Defense aims to disrupt this paradigm by delivering an interceptor with a cost per shot in the “low tens of thousands of dollars” [1].
Experienced Leadership and the Cost-Asymmetry Challenge
FPF Defense is led by a highly experienced team of defense and technology veterans [1]. The startup’s CEO is Christopher C. Miller, the former U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense who previously oversaw a $720 billion budget, 2 million service members, and 700,000 civilian employees during his distinguished 34-year military and public service career [2]. To contextualize the scale of these figures, the massive $720 billion defense budget Miller once managed is equivalent to the production cost of 14.400 million adversary drones valued at $50,000 each [1][2]. Miller is joined by Chief Technology Officer Dr. Jeff Maas, a former DARPA program manager; Chief Operating Officer Grant Fox, who brings experience from the U.S. Navy and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU); and Chief Revenue Officer Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Christian Sessoms, a former Army Special Forces officer [1].
The strategic funding provided by RSE Ventures and Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS) will target a crucial vulnerability in current air defense: the 9-to-20-kilometer engagement gap [1]. According to Matt Higgins, CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures, defending homelands and assets from a back foot is unsustainable when defense costs ten times more than the initial threat [1]. Higgins noted that the Hammerhead interceptor and SmartFlak system provide the scalable, high-volume shield required to dominate this mid-range airspace [1]. This sentiment was echoed by Ondas CEO Eric Brock, who emphasized that FPF Defense met the firm’s strict partnership standards by offering a proven team and a mission-critical capability that the United States requires at scale [1].
Building a Domestic Supply Chain in Florida
As part of this strategic transition, FPF Defense is relocating its headquarters to West Palm Beach, Florida [1]. This move allows the startup to integrate into the rapidly expanding defense-technology ecosystem established in the region by Ondas and RSE Ventures [1]. The newly acquired capital will be utilized to scale production, establish a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant domestic supply chain, expand the company’s engineering staff, and construct new operational infrastructure [1].
The urgency surrounding cost-effective drone defense has been a primary focus for military leaders recently [2]. On June 18, 2026, Christopher C. Miller presented at the TPP Drone Symposium in Lexington Park, Maryland, an event attended by over 150 defense experts and leaders [2]. The symposium featured a “Drone Hedge Strategy” panel with specialists from NAVAIR, the U.S. Space Force, the USMC, and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, all focusing on the development of scalable, rapidly deployable autonomous counter-drone systems [2]. The co-led investment announced today directly aligns with these military priorities, positioning FPF Defense to deliver the exact tactical advantages demanded by modern defense strategists [1][2].