Teleconferência de Resultados da AIRO no 2T26: Receita Salta 76%, Backlog de Drones Atinge US$ 163M

A AIRO apresentou receita e margens mais fortes no 2º trimestre de 2026 com o aumento das entregas de drones. A administração reiterou suas projeções de crescimento para o ano inteiro, ao mesmo tempo em que alertou que o cronograma de entregas e a variação cambial afetarão os resultados do segundo semestre.

Destaques

• A receita do 2º trimestre de 2026 aumentou quase 76% em relação ao ano anterior, atingindo US$ 43,2 milhões, impulsionada pelo segmento de drones e parcialmente compensada pelo desempenho mais fraco em aviônicos e treinamento.
• A margem bruta subiu para 64%, ante 61% no mesmo período do ano anterior, refletindo uma mudança no mix de produtos em direção aos drones.
• O lucro operacional subiu para US$ 1,7 milhão, revertendo o prejuízo operacional de US$ 19,7 milhões no 2º trimestre de 2025. O EBITDA ajustado aumentou para US$ 6,8 milhões, ante US$ 4,7 milhões.
• A carteira de pedidos (backlog) de drones cresceu aproximadamente 9% na comparação trimestral, atingindo cerca de US$ 163 milhões. Ela é composta por pedidos internacionais, principalmente para o RQ-35, e ainda não inclui os pedidos dos EUA.
• A administração reiterou a projeção de crescimento da receita para o ano inteiro de 2026 entre 15% e 25%, apesar de esperar uma pressão cambial incremental de alguns milhões de dólares no segundo semestre.
• O RQ-35 recebeu a certificação Blue UAS, enquanto a produção do RQ-70 continua prevista para começar em janeiro de 2027. O JC250 e o JX250 seguem no caminho certo para o primeiro voo no final de 2026.

Principais Dados Financeiros

Desempenho Operacional e dos Negócios

Sistemas de drones

As entregas de drones foram o principal impulsionador da receita no 2º trimestre. A carteira de pedidos de aproximadamente US$ 163 milhões consiste inteiramente em pedidos internacionais e está relacionada principalmente ao RQ-35, com apenas uma pequena contribuição do RQ-70. A administração espera que a maior parte da carteira de pedidos se converta em receita em até 12 meses.

O RQ-35 obteve a certificação Blue UAS, tornando-o elegível para aquisições do governo e de defesa dos EUA sob os requisitos da NDAA. A administração afirmou que a empresa respondeu a várias solicitações de cotação nos EUA, mas as oportunidades no país ainda não foram adicionadas à carteira de pedidos.

A AIRO também apresentou a plataforma ISR de longo alcance RQ-70. O sistema foi projetado para até oito horas de autonomia e 100 quilômetros de alcance, incluindo operação em ambientes sem sinal de GPS. A administração reafirmou que a produção deve começar em janeiro de 2027 e descreveu o interesse inicial dos clientes do setor de defesa como forte.

Desenvolvimento do JC250 e JX250

O drone de carga JC250 e a variante de ISR JX250 seguem no cronograma para o primeiro voo no final de 2026. Os custos de desenvolvimento específicos da empresa estão rodando em um percentual na faixa baixa de dois dígitos abaixo das expectativas internas, devido à base compartilhada das plataformas, negociações com fornecedores, sinergias de plataforma e execução de P&D.

A administração afirmou que essas variantes não tripuladas de carga e ISR custam substancialmente menos para serem desenvolvidas do que a plataforma de passageiros considerada anteriormente pela empresa.

Aviônicos e treinamento

A receita de aviônicos permaneceu praticamente estável na comparação trimestral, com demanda estável por produtos. A AIRO consolidou suas operações de aviônicos e a expansão da divisão de drones nos EUA em Phoenix e espera que sinergias operacionais e na cadeia de suprimentos surjam nos próximos trimestres.

O desempenho do segmento de treinamento permaneceu abaixo das expectativas. A administração citou o alinhamento limitado entre as ordens de serviço atuais do governo dos EUA e as capacidades da AIRO, bem como a estrutura intensiva em capital do segmento. A empresa está avaliando alternativas estratégicas e espera decidir o rumo do segmento até o final do ano.

Projeções da Administração

• A AIRO manteve sua projeção de crescimento de receita para o ano inteiro de 2026 entre 15% e 25% em relação ao ano anterior.
• A receita do primeiro semestre representou aproximadamente 50% das expectativas atuais da administração para o ano inteiro, após uma entrega relevante de drones ter sido antecipada do 3º para o 2º trimestre.
• A administração espera que a receita do segundo semestre fique em linha com ou ligeiramente acima da receita do primeiro semestre.
• A receita do 3º trimestre deve apresentar queda na comparação trimestral em relação ao 2º trimestre, seguida por um 4º trimestre mais forte. A administração espera que a receita do 4º trimestre fique ligeiramente acima da do 2º trimestre.
• Ventos contrários cambiais incrementais devem reduzir a receita do segundo semestre em alguns milhões de dólares em relação às premissas anteriores. Esse impacto está incluído na projeção mantida.
• A margem bruta para o ano inteiro deve apresentar modesta compressão em relação a 2025 e permanecer amplamente em linha com os níveis do primeiro semestre de 2026.
• O EBITDA ajustado para o ano inteiro ainda deve ser negativo na faixa de US$ 15 milhões a US$ 19 milhões, com o desempenho trimestral acompanhando amplamente o ritmo da receita.
• A administração antecipa uma transição para fluxo de caixa livre positivo em 2027 e nos anos seguintes.

Riscos e Pontos de Atenção

Os resultados trimestrais da AIRO permanecem sensíveis ao cronograma de grandes entregas de drones. A antecipação de uma remessa relevante para o 2º trimestre deve contribuir para uma queda sequencial da receita no 3º trimestre.

O câmbio é outra limitação de curto prazo devido à exposição internacional da empresa. A administração agora espera um impacto maior na receita do segundo semestre do que o presumido anteriormente.

O segmento de treinamento continua intensivo em capital e apresentou desempenho abaixo das expectativas, motivando a revisão estratégica. A administração também citou problemas de licenciamento envolvendo o governo ucraniano que afetaram o progresso das joint ventures Nord e Bullitt, ao mesmo tempo em que enfatizou que o crescimento não depende de nenhuma parceria única.

A AIRO continua investindo em capacidade de fabricação e novos produtos. Embora os gastos com o desenvolvimento do JC250 e do JX250 estejam abaixo do planejado, a administração ainda espera que o EBITDA ajustado do ano inteiro permaneça expressivamente negativo.

Destaques da Sessão de Perguntas e Respostas com Analistas

Os analistas se concentraram na composição da carteira de pedidos, oportunidades de pedidos nos EUA, demanda pelo RQ-70, gastos com desenvolvimento e fluxo de caixa livre. A administração esclareceu que a carteira atual de US$ 163 milhões exclui pedidos dos EUA. A certificação Blue UAS é vista como um passo fundamental para converter o pipeline de oportunidades nos EUA em pedidos firmes e na carteira de pedidos.

Quanto à liquidez, a administração atribuiu o baixo saldo de caixa em 30 de junho em comparação com 31 de julho principalmente a entregas no final do trimestre e ao prazo do contas a receber. O recebimento desses valores posteriormente elevou o caixa preliminar para aproximadamente US$ 56 milhões.

A administração declarou que alternativas estratégicas para a área de treinamento permanecem sob análise, com drones e aviônicos designados como as principais prioridades de alocação de capital da empresa. A AIRO também está avaliando parcerias e aquisições que possam expandir seu portfólio de drones, aviônicos e eletrônicos, ao mesmo tempo em que reduzem a variabilidade trimestral da receita.

Transcrição Completa da Teleconferência de Resultados

Transcrição completa da teleconferência de resultados

Comentários da administração

Operator

Thank you for standing by. My name is Jonathan, and I will be your conference moderator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Aero Q2 2026 earnings call. [Operator Instructions]

I would now like to turn the call over to Jack Senft, Investor Relations at Aero. Please go ahead.

Unknown Executive

Thank you, Operator, and good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Aero Group Holdings, Incorporated second quarter 2026 earnings call. We appreciate you joining us today and look forward to sharing an update on our progress and performance. With me on the call are Dr. Chiranjeev Kathuria, our Executive Chairman, Captain Joseph Burns, our Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Mariya Pylypiv, our Chief Financial Officer. Today's call will include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements relating to Aero's 2026 outlook.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements represent management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date made. Information on factors that could affect the company's financial results is included in the company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC from time to time. In addition to our prepared remarks, our earnings press release, SEC filings, and a replay of today's call can be found on our Investor Relations website at investor.theaerogroup.com. We have also posted our earnings presentation on the Investor Relations section of our website.

In addition, during today's call, we will discuss non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are in addition to, and not a substitute for, or superior to measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and the discussion of the limitations of using non-GAAP measures versus their closest GAAP equivalents is available in our earnings release. Additionally, we plan to discuss drone segment backlog, a definition of which can be found in our earnings release. We will also discuss our cash balance as of July 31, 2026, which is a preliminary estimate based on information available to us as of the date of this presentation. Additional information on this metric can be found in the earnings presentation on our Investor Relations website.

With that, I will turn it over to our Executive Chairman, Dr. Chiranjeev Kathuria.

Chirinjeev Kathuria

Thanks, Jack, and thank you all for joining us today. Aero delivered a strong second quarter that was marked by revenue outperformance against expectations driven by solid execution within our drone segment. Gross margins improved to 64%, leading to a small operating profit for the quarter, a big improvement from the loss we saw in the same period last year. Looking ahead, and as Mariya will discuss in her section, we are reiterating full-year revenue growth guidance of 15% to 25%. She will detail some additional thoughts to think through the rest of the year. On top of this, total drone backlog grew roughly 9% from last quarter to approximately $163 million.

On the strategic front, it was also a busy quarter. The RQ-35 drone achieved Blue UAS certification, which opens up meaningful new opportunities in U.S. defense procurement. We also unveiled our new RQ-70 long-range ISR platform. Development continues on the JC250 and the JX250 cargo and ISR drone variants, and costs there are coming in below expectations, with the first flight still on track for later this year. We remain squarely focused on the unmanned drone market. Second quarter was a solid quarter of execution, and we expect that momentum to continue as we scale manufacturing, diversify our revenue base, and stay disciplined on cost, all while continuing to invest in Aero's next phase of growth.

With that, let me turn it over to Joe to discuss our strategy and the operational highlights.

Joseph Burns

Thank you, Chiranjeev, and thank you all for joining us on today's earnings call. I am happy to report second quarter results that exceeded expectations, finishing out a strong first half of the year. Our second quarter results were marked by on-time drone deliveries plus multiple announcements. These recent developments highlight our execution on strategy, but we are not done here. While second quarter top-line results mark sequential growth versus our 1Q performance, this demonstrates the variable nature of our business. Still, second quarter results topped expectations. We are reiterating our full-year guidance ranges we previously provided. Mariya will walk through the financial details later in the call.

Now let me provide some updates on our portfolio and strategic positioning at Aero. We have a solid, growing portfolio of products and services. We remain focused on the overall drone market, whether it be through new product developments or through partnerships and inorganic opportunities. We are actively working to reduce quarterly variability by expanding our international and domestic revenue base. One such milestone on our product side, and one that I'm especially pleased to highlight, is that our RQ-35 drone is now officially Blue UAS certified. With this approval, the RQ-35 is recognized by the Department of Defense as a secure, compliant unmanned aircraft system, eligible for government and defense procurement under NDAA requirements.

As most of you know, Blue UAS streamlines access to the DoD and federal procurement channels, accelerating our ability to compete for and secure U.S. defense contracts, which we expect will support Aero's long-term revenue growth across domestic and international markets. We believe the Blue UAS milestone is a testament to the RQ-35, from its embedded technology, use cases, and performance on the battlefield. The RQ-35 and now our recently unveiled RQ-70 continue to set our technology apart from the rest of the pack. The RQ-35 is battle-tested, having been deployed in the Ukraine conflict, and the platform is extremely quiet, hand-launched, and purpose-built for ISR missions. It has demonstrated real resilience, even against electronic warfare and in GPS and GNSS-denied environments.

With up to 50 kilometers of range and 150 minutes of flight time, it delivers extended time on target, quick frontline serviceability with a smart battery for reliable performance. The RQ-35 platform also offers onboard AI with edge computing, which enables real-time identification and classification of enemy assets and threats, while strengthening navigation, situational awareness, and mission execution. This drives faster, more informed decisions in the field. As a note, edge computing brings our flying servers closer to the battle, allowing us to significantly speed up and improve target recognition and decision speed, which reduces the already jammed bandwidth required by other competitor systems. Our goal is to embed AI across all of our product and service offerings at Aero.

The RQ-70 is our newest platform, built on years of RQ-35 battle data and leveraging our existing manufacturing and NDAA supply chain. We are already engaged with multiple defense customers on future deployment. It offers configuration flexibility between standard, long-range, and VTOL configurations and includes a modular design that lets it serve as a standalone ISR drone for NATO and allied customers. Our RQ-70 is built for up to 8 hours of endurance, 100 kilometers of range, and resilience in GPS-denied environments. We are reaffirming expected production start in January 2027. Capabilities such as these further set Aero apart with strong customer validation to date. We are building on that momentum with new initiatives and will continue to provide updates in the quarters ahead.

On the product side, we're making great progress developing our cargo and ISR drone variants, the JC250 and JX250. We have been strategically evaluating and selecting suppliers for the vehicle, and we are reaffirming our expectation for the first flight later this year. I am also happy to report that Aero-specific costs for development are running below our internal expectations by a low double-digit percent. There are a few driving factors. First, because the cargo and ISR variants share a common foundation, we are developing them at a fraction of the cost of their passenger counterpart. Second, we have made real progress in supply chain negotiations, which is lowering our input costs. Third, we are realizing synergies across the platform faster than we had modeled. And finally, our R&D team has been executing efficiently, which is keeping development costs disciplined. Taken together, these factors are giving us confidence in the cost trajectory of this program.

While still in the early innings, all the developments that I mentioned represent our efforts in diversifying our product portfolio and stabilizing revenue variability over time. On the avionics and electronics side of our portfolio, Aero delivered largely flat revenue quarter-over-quarter as demand for our avionics products remained stable and consistent with the prior quarter. Despite the static growth year-to-date, we are actively advancing next-generation sensor and navigation solutions, which were on display at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in late July. We received solid feedback at the trade show with customers highlighting our product reliability and functionality. Avionics continues to play a critical and strategic role within our broader company profile. With our avionics and ramping U.S. drone operations now consolidated under one roof in Phoenix, we expect synergies here to begin bearing fruit in the coming quarters.

These dynamics are part of what reinforces Aero's long-term competitive advantage. Over time, we expect to bring more avionics systems in-house across our unmanned platforms, streamlining operations, reducing supply chain complexity, and ultimately strengthening our gross margin profile. Lastly, on the services side, we are continuing to evaluate strategic alternatives for training, and we expect to have an update on that direction by the end of the year. We believe the training segment remains a valuable asset with a significant long-term opportunity, although the segment is capital-intensive and often requires meaningful ongoing investment. Recall, while underlying demand persists within this segment, performance here has been below expectations. This is driven by the fact that the task orders coming out of the U.S. government are not within the strengths of Aero.

We believe this narrative will shift over time, and we are positioning, investing, and strengthening our training asset to pursue upcoming long-term close air support training opportunities. That said, we are exploring all possible avenues for the business, but our focus remains on unmanned systems. Overall, we are encouraged by the momentum generated across our portfolio during the second quarter. From achieving Blue UAS certification for the RQ-35 and advancing customer engagement around our new RQ-70 platform to progressing development of our cargo and ISR drone variants and positioning our avionics business for future synergies, we continue to execute on our strategy of expanding capabilities, diversifying revenue streams, and embedding AI across our offerings. While there is still work ahead, we believe these milestones reinforce the strength of our technology and market position, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the quarters to come.

We remain disciplined on our capital initiatives. We continue to evaluate inorganic opportunities carefully, focusing on acquisitions that would be accretive in the near term and that strategically enhance our product portfolio, namely for drones, avionics, and electronics. We also see M&A as having the potential to play an important role in reducing Aero's quarterly revenue variability over time. As I have discussed in the past, our balance sheet gives us real flexibility to act when the right opportunity comes along, and selective M&A will continue to play a vital role in how we endeavor to maximize long-term shareholder value. With the multiple drone deliveries in 2Q, and given the timing of these drone deliveries at quarter end, our cash balance as of July 31, 2026, was approximately $56 million, significantly strengthening Aero's balance sheet.

In closing, the initiatives, discipline, and efforts we have employed to date bolster our strategy of delivering mission-ready ISR systems that can be produced, upgraded, and supported at scale. I'm also grateful for the colleagues beside me today and for every employee who makes this company what it is. Our leadership team brings extensive industry experience to the table, and as we continue to add key personnel, we are further strengthening our competitive position in the market. With that, I will turn it over to Mariya, who will walk you through the financial results in more detail. Mariya?

Mariya Pylypiv

Thank you, Joe, and good morning, everyone. For the second quarter of 2026, revenue was $43.2 million, compared to $24.6 million in the second quarter of 2025. This represents growth of nearly 76% year-over-year. Revenue for the quarter was ahead of expectations, driven by outperformance against expectations in our drone segment, partially offset by underperformance in avionics and training. Gross profit for the quarter was $27.7 million, representing a gross margin of 64%, compared to a gross profit of $15 million and gross margin of 61% versus the same period last year. The improvement in gross margins, both sequentially and year-over-year, was also driven by a product mix shift back towards drone products, consistent with expectations. Recall, our first quarter margins were impacted by upgrade revenue, negatively impacting margins.

Operating income for the quarter was $1.7 million versus negative $19.7 million in the second quarter of 2025. This year-over-year improvement is a result of higher revenue, improved gross margins, and IPO-related costs incurred in the prior year period. We remain disciplined on costs while continuing to invest selectively in the infrastructure needed to support our growth. Our second quarter net loss was $2 million versus a net income of $5.9 million in the second quarter 2025. Second quarter 2026 EBITDA was $5.1 million compared to $18.9 million in the prior year period. On an adjusted basis, EBITDA was $6.8 million, up from $4.7 million in the second quarter 2025.

As Joe mentioned, on the cost side for our JC250 and JX250 platform, I am happy to report that development costs are tracking below our internal expectations. The shared foundation between our cargo and ISR variants means we are developing them at a fraction of the cost of the passenger version, and we are realizing savings beyond our original projections by roughly a low double-digit percentage. We retain flexibility to adjust our spending pace up or down as conditions warrant. Right now, though, we believe the right path forward is deliberate, efficient investment to put the required infrastructure in place to support our next phase of growth.

Turning to cash flow and liquidity, as of June 30, 2026, we had $25.9 million in cash on the balance sheet, with $6.8 million in debt. Accounts receivables were higher than usual at quarter end, driven by the multiple drone deliveries late in the quarter. As of July 31, we had approximately $56 million of cash, primarily reflecting the subsequent collection of international drone receivables outstanding at quarter end. This strengthened our liquidity position and provides us with continued flexibility to execute against our strategic priorities. As of June 30, 2026, we had roughly $163 million in drone backlog. We expect the majority of this backlog to convert to revenue within the next 12 months. We will be updating our backlog to include U.S. opportunities and ongoing pursuits in the coming quarters. We expect this will meaningfully increase the total backlog as those orders are incorporated.

We define backlog as orders we reasonably expect to convert to revenue over the next 12 months. As this metric provides visibility into near-term demand, our broader pipeline continues to expand, underscoring the long-term demand trends we have discussed throughout today's call. Based on our current visibility, we are reiterating our full-year revenue growth guidance of 15% to 25% year-over-year. Let me provide some additional context on the expected cadence for the remainder of the year. First, 1 material drone delivery originally expected in the third quarter was completed in the second quarter. As a result, first half revenue represented approximately 50% of our current full-year expectations. Second, reflecting that pull forward, we currently expect second half revenue to be in line with, or modestly above, first half revenue. Within the second half, we expect third quarter revenue to decline sequentially from the second quarter, followed by a stronger fourth quarter. We currently expect fourth quarter revenue to be modestly above the second quarter.

Third, given the international nature of our business, foreign exchange remains a factor in our outlook. We now anticipate greater FX headwinds in the second half, with an incremental revenue impact of a few million dollars compared with our prior expectations. We have incorporated that impact into our outlook and remain confident in our full-year guidance range. We continue to expect modest gross margin compression versus 2025, with full-year gross margin broadly in line with first half levels.

Turning to profitability, we continue to expect full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA in the negative mid to high teens millions, with the quarterly cadence expected to broadly follow revenue. In closing, our strategy remains focused on 3 priorities: diversifying our revenue base, scaling manufacturing, and accelerating new product introductions. As those products ramp up and make up a larger share of revenue, we expect that to reduce quarterly volatility and strengthen backlog growth over time. Specifically, with the introduction of the RQ-70, the first delivery of the Zentra camera suite, and the JC250 and JX250 coming online late next year, we expect to begin seeing the benefits of that revenue stability next year, with continued improvements in the quarters and years to follow.

That progress is exactly why fiscal year '26 is a year of accelerated investment for us. As I have said before, we are still early in our growth phase and we intend to invest accordingly, while staying disciplined on costs and preserving flexibility to adjust our cost structure as needed. That balance supports our confidence in Aero's long-term growth trajectory. With that, Operator, we're ready for questions.

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our first question is from the line of Colin Canfield from Cantor Fitzgerald. Your line is now open. Please go ahead.

Perguntas e respostas

Colin Canfield

Maybe if we could start on drone order trends to parse out the mix of U.S. and international drone orders for the RQ-35, discuss the milestones that you need to see to essentially increase the backlog. The comment you made on materially increasing backlog, basically, what milestones does it take to recognize that backlog increase? And then if you could also talk about early customer interest for the RQ-70.

Mariya Pylypiv

Hi Colin, thank you for your question. So I'll start. Our $163 million backlog represents international drone backlog and does not currently include any U.S. backlog. We expect that the majority of that backlog will convert to revenue over the next 12 months. So naturally, the portion of it extends into 2027. In terms of the U.S., we have responded to a number of RFQs and continue to see a growing pipeline of opportunities. And as those opportunities convert into orders, and we expect them to be able to convert into backlog, it will provide additional visibility for U.S. backlog, which will incrementally add to the $163 million backlog we are currently reporting today. As far as additional products being included, it's mostly composed out of the RQ-35. There's a very small percentage of the RQ-70 being added to this number right now.

Joseph Burns

And if I, this is Joe, good morning, Colin, if I could follow on with that. Some of the milestones, obviously key milestones for us were the Blue UAS certification, which will allow us into the U.S. market. So that was a big one. The RQ-70 announcement and launch of that product are also a big milestone to enhance our expansion of our margin profile. You also mentioned or asked a question about early customer interest in the RQ-70. It's been very strong because it does fill a gap in sort of that high-end ISR market, that long duration flight, ease of operations, and low costs. So we feel very, very strong about the RQ-70 filling in the interest category as well.

Colin Canfield

Maybe if we could talk about free cash flow. The foundational building blocks and kind of the level of investment related to the defense transport platform. Just kind of walk through how you think about the investment on that program and flexing down, and perhaps maybe kind of how you think about that relative to the company's ability to generate free cash flow. Thank you.

Mariya Pylypiv

Thank you, Colin. So I'll start and then I'll let Joe add anything I missed. So in terms of free cash flow, we are very comfortable right now with our liquidity position, and it's closely tracking our internal expectations. The biggest factor for the quarter was timing as we were building inventory to support deliveries. So those deliveries occurred at the end of the quarter, a significant portion of receivables converted into cash. And as I mentioned earlier, as of July 31, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $56 million.

In terms of investments for the air mobility, our costs have been reduced, which Aero is very comfortable with. Right now they're running in the low double digits below initial expectations. And while we have not provided the size of the investments, we are still tracking on time. And overall, because we shifted our focus on ISR and cargo drones, it significantly reduced our expected development costs compared to the passenger platform, which obviously provides significant upside for our liquidity. And if we think about moving forward, free cash flow, we anticipate there should be a shift into positive cash flow in 2027 and beyond.

Joseph Burns

That's great. Thank you. And to expand on the JX250 and the JC250, our ISR and cargo variants of that large cargo transport, you know, we've talked about in the past about eVTOL. This is an eVTOL aircraft, but it's different than what we had previously discussed in the passenger realm. We don't carry passengers on this. It's basically a large cargo drone. Very long duration, hybrid drive can use conventional fuels. So we think there is a new and growing market for this type of transport if you think about sort of combat operations, the ability to resupply, get critical medical information to and from, etc. So for us, it's a real opportunity to jump into somewhat of a new market. You're starting to see that, obviously, in this industry as well.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question comes from the line of Andre Madrid from U.S. Bancorp BTIG. Your line is now open. Please go ahead.

Andre Madrid

I was wondering if you could provide us an update on where you're at with Nord and Bullitt, those JVs.

Joseph Burns

Sure. This is Joe. Good question, Andre. So as you probably know at this point, there are some significant order issues or significant issues with the Ukrainian government's permitting process. You know, in their current [indiscernible] government, there is [indiscernible] of aircraft coming into [indiscernible] transfers. We are still [indiscernible] and we're working [indiscernible] council over there and [indiscernible] these permits. But that said, the partnerships and JVs like these are really a compelling route for us. I want to make it clear that we're not dependent on any one of them for growth.

The partnership and JVs will expand our access to multiple markets and help accelerate our growth plans. We're currently evaluating additional partnerships as well in this particular market, and those specifically for drone dominance. So we're excited about other opportunities. It's really opened our eyes as to what's available, what the markets look like for us. And with the ability for our certification routes, we're excited about [indiscernible] in these things moving forward.

Andre Madrid

That's really helpful. And then maybe pivoting to training for a bit. I know you guys had mentioned last quarter your decision to pursue strategic alternatives or consider strategic alternatives there. Is there any update that you can provide as to maybe how that's tracking and when the decision might be made?

Joseph Burns

Sure, we're planning to have decisions by year-end. We're making a lot of discussions around it. As we mentioned before, we're actively evaluating a range of strategic options. And our intent in disclosing this is to be transparent with the market. Well, really our core focus right now is on drone and avionics operations. And we see limited synergies between the training segment and our core business, which is important while we're evaluating the long-term strategic fit. Training is expensive. We have made a significant investment so far, but we're still excited about the opportunities in this particular business. But as always, drones are our main focus, and that's where we want to look at focusing most of our capital.

Andre Madrid

Yes, that's really helpful, Joe. I appreciate it. I'll leave it there. Thanks.

Operator

Thank you. There are no further questions. We have reached the end of the Q&A session. This concludes today's call. Thank you for attending. You may now disconnect.