Florida-based US startup PowerAs opened a factory in the United Arab Emirates last month to assemble low-cost drone interceptors designed to destroy Iranian drones in the air. Workers at a small UAE warehouse assemble 3D-printed parts into the Guardian interceptor, which can fly at 200 miles per hour. The company says this is its first Middle East entry as part of a wider arms-supply effort.

PowerAs and partner factories currently produce about 3,000 interceptors monthly and aim to raise global output to 15,000 a month by mid-2027. In the UAE facility, workers from the Philippines and China make roughly 30 interceptors daily, with production expected to rise to 100. The company did not identify its UAE customers or contract manufacturers.

Guardian costs $5,000 per unit and uses commercially available microchips and GPS technology. PowerAs recently signed a $22 million commercial agreement to protect Middle Eastern oil and gas infrastructure and is pursuing production with a defense company near Mumbai. Experts said low-cost interceptors can supplement, but not replace, major missile-defense systems.