Lockheed Martin backs Fortem’s $50M drone-defense raise

New money, same drone problem

Fortem Technologies just closed a $50 million Series B, and Lockheed Martin was the headline backer. The defense giant had already kicked in $25 million in an earlier tranche, so this latest close turns that prior check into a much bigger statement: drones are becoming less of a nuisance and more of a budget line item.

Why this matters

If you’ve been following defense spending, you know counter-drone tech has gone from “nice to have” to “please fix this yesterday.” Fortem says the cash will help it scale airspace security tools as hostile and unauthorized drones continue to pop up in civilian and military airspace.

• Lockheed Martin led the round, reinforcing its interest in the category.
• Unusual Machines and other strategic/institutional investors also joined in.
• Fortem gets growth capital; Lockheed gets a bigger seat at the counter-drone table.

Big picture

This isn’t a blockbuster merger or a shiny new product launch. But for investors, it’s a neat little signal: prime defense contractors are still hunting for ways to plug into fast-growing security niches without having to swallow the whole startup. Think of it as venture capital with a missile-defense vibe.