Press Release Details

The Officer Who Built the Joint Force’s Counter-Drone Doctrine and Commanded Global Missile Defense Joins Palladyne AI as It Scales SwarmOS™-Powered Collaborative Autonomy, Loitering Munitions, and Multi-Domain Intelligent Systems for the Department of War

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 22, 2026-- Palladyne AI (NASDAQ: PDYN), a U.S.-based defense and industrial technology company delivering embodied AI-powered collaborative autonomy solutions, advanced avionics, precision-manufactured components, UAVs, and advanced aerospace engineering services, today announced that retired Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey has joined the Company’s Defense Advisory Board. Gainey most recently served as Commanding General of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Commander of Joint Task Force-Gold, the homeland integrated air and missile defense command that serves as the operational arm for layered defense systems provided by Golden Dome.

Gainey built the joint force’s doctrine for counter-drone operations as founding Director of the Joint Counter-UAS Office, and previously commanded U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command at the convergence of space, missile defense, and homeland air defense.

“The Department of War is prioritizing capabilities that can strengthen layered defense, operate autonomously at the tactical edge, integrate into existing force structures, and deliver affordable effects at scale,” said Gainey. “The systems Palladyne AI is fielding today were built for exactly these environments. With SwarmOS™, the IAI loitering munitions portfolio, and the AFRL HANGTIME contract, Palladyne AI is positioned to engage the Department’s most urgent acquisition priorities with proven technology that can be integrated quickly, produced domestically, fielded at scale, and delivered to warfighters faster.”

As Commanding General of Joint Task Force-Gold, Gainey assisted in shaping Golden Dome’s architecture from the Army’s most relevant command and built the operational staff foundation on which its execution will depend. Golden Dome requires real-time coordination of autonomous systems across space, aerial, and ground domains under contested conditions. That is the operational problem Palladyne AI’s AFRL HANGTIME contract tasks SwarmOS™ to solve.

“Lt. Gen. Gainey’s appointment strengthens Palladyne AI with firsthand understanding of how the Department of War evaluates, integrates, and fields emerging capability,” said Ben Wolff, President and CEO of Palladyne AI. “His experience will help us pressure-test our roadmap against real operational requirements, sharpen engagement with defense customers, and focus our software, systems, and manufacturing resources on the opportunities where Palladyne AI can move fastest and create the greatest mission impact.”

The appointment follows Palladyne AI’s exclusive U.S. partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to Americanize, manufacture, integrate, and market the HARPY, HAROP, and Mini HARPY loitering munition systems to the U.S. Department of War. This represents the first domestically produced portfolio of long-range SEAD/DEAD loitering munitions available to the U.S. military. The U.S. defense industrial base has not previously been able to offer this class of combat-proven, long-range loitering capability through a domestic manufacturer. Gainey’s fires background and C-UAS expertise make him uniquely equipped to inform Palladyne AI’s engagement on long-range precision fires, counter-UAS, and autonomous systems acquisition.

For more information on Palladyne AI’s embodied AI, collaborative autonomy, autonomous systems, and U.S. manufacturing capabilities, visit www.palladyneai.com.

About Palladyne AI

Palladyne AI is a U.S.-based technology company developing patented embodied artificial intelligence, collaborative autonomy solutions, and autonomous systems for defense and industrial markets. Palladyne AI delivers secure, American-developed and operated platforms designed to meet the stringent requirements of U.S. government and public-sector customers, including data sovereignty, security, and compliance.

Palladyne AI’s embodied AI is designed to operate in complex, contested, and high-risk environments, enabling distributed tasking, human-on-the-loop decision-making, degraded-communications resilience, and multi-domain coordination. Its platform-agnostic autonomy stack combines real-time sensor fusion, adaptive AI models, and edge-native orchestration to support autonomous and collaborative systems across air, ground, maritime, and industrial domains. For more information about Palladyne AI, including GuideTech and Palladyne Aerospace and Defense, please visit www.palladyneai.com.

About Palladyne Aerospace & Defense

Palladyne Aerospace & Defense is Palladyne AI’s division positioned as a mid-tier U.S. technology prime defense contractor. Palladyne Aerospace and Defense bridges innovative autonomy, practical engineering, and American production to bring intelligent systems into active service — faster, safer, and more cost-effectively than legacy approaches. With U.S.-based manufacturing, Palladyne Aerospace and Defense delivers software, components, subsystems, and complete loitering munition systems aligned with the Department of War’s growing demand for cost-effective, rapidly deployable, and domestically produced defense technologies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the speed and cost efficiency at which Palladyne AI can bring systems into service; and U.S. defense needs and priorities and the ability of Palladyne AI’s technology and products to meet those needs. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events, or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by, or include the words “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “intends” or “continue” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Palladyne AI’s management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. However, there can be no assurance that the events, results, or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Palladyne AI is not under any obligation and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports which Palladyne AI has filed or will file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in particular the risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections of those reports entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” for a description of risks facing Palladyne AI and that could cause actual events, results or performance to differ from those indicated in the forward-looking statements contained herein. The documents filed by Palladyne AI with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

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Palladyne AI Investor Contact:
Brian S. Siegel, IRC®, M.B.A.
Senior Managing Director
Hayden IR – Chicago
(346) 396-8696 (o)
brian@haydenir.com
IR@palladyneai.com

Palladyne AI Press Contact:
Heath Meyer
(858) 768-1527
PR@palladyneai.com

Source: Palladyne AI