Former Mossad Chief Dedi Barnea Named Global President of U.S. Defense Company

American company Ondas announced today (Monday) that former Mossad chief Dedi Barnea will be appointed the company’s global president and chairman of its subsidiary, Ondas Defense. The company said Barnea will help lead Ondas’ global expansion, shape its technology strategy, and strengthen cooperation among the companies and systems operating within the group.

As a reminder, Barnea served as head of the Mossad from 2021 to 2026 and retired following a career of roughly three decades in the organization. In his new role, he will be responsible for expanding the company’s operations in international markets, advancing the development of new defense technologies, and leading acquisitions and technology-business integration processes. His work is expected to focus primarily on the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, working with defense clients and strategic partners.

Ondas is an American holding company active in autonomous systems, robotics, and the defense industry, with a major development center in Israel. Its defense focus is on developing autonomous drones, counter-drone systems, and robotics for the defense and critical-infrastructure markets.

In recent years, the company has acquired defense-tech firms, including several Israeli companies and the American company DZYNE. Among the 15 Israeli companies it has acquired are firms specializing in drone development, ground robotics, cyber systems, and artificial intelligence. The company’s Israeli headquarters is located in Ra’anana.

For example, it acquired Omnisys, which develops the BRO system—advanced artificial intelligence software for battlefield management, planning, and optimization that links sensors, drones, and command-and-control systems. It also acquired Robots, a company that develops tactical ground robots for engineering, bomb disposal, and combat missions in urban and underground environments.

It also acquired Bird Aerosystems, which specializes in air-defense systems and missile-defense systems for planes and helicopters, as well as Sentrics, which develops cyber systems and advanced RF technologies for the detection, identification, and autonomous neutralization of hostile drones.