AVEX is taking off because it meets irreplaceable defense demand for low-cost, expendable kamikaze drones. The Russia-Ukraine war shows masses of cheap drones outpacing costly missiles and jets, and its modular, 3D-printed one-way attack drone can be mass-produced cheaply, fitting the Pentagon's Replicator push for swarming systems. It held $356.6M of funded backlog in late March, 93% due to become 2026 revenue, with 88% of revenue from the US government. As a new IPO, it has no trapped holders. … Show more

AEVEX stands to benefit from the $75 billion 2026 US drone budget request, which a defense official said mostly targets evaluating, buying or modifying drone systems already in use. AEVEX has shipped 10,000 Group I-V drones to Ukraine under two Defense Department contracts worth $1.2 billion. Most of the request should be approved, and it does not depend on Ukraine, so a possible Russia-Ukraine negotiation need not hurt the case. x.com  x.com 

AVEX looks set to suffer more because a drone company tied to Trump's sons is likely to take business from it. This comes as @michaelsikand, a large holder, reports the newly listed, tiny-float stock hit his portfolio hard while he stands by his thesis. x.com 

Drone stocks fell in 2026 even as backlogs hit records: Ukraine turned aircraft into ammunition, and the Pentagon's 2027 request holds nearly $75B for drones and counter-drone. AeroVironment's reordered loitering munitions and Kratos's jet drones are highest conviction. Counter-drone names Ondas, Axon, Motorola Solutions, Safe Pro, DroneShield and Rheinmetall gain as threats grow, Unusual Machines from Chinese-parts bans. Primes bury drone exposure; pure plays may not convert backlog. x.com  … Show more

Drone makers stand to benefit as the Pentagon prepares to take equity stakes in them under a $1B Drone Dominance Program targeting 300,000 attack drones by 2027; when the government funds a theme, early investors win. The ecosystem spans tactical leaders AeroVironment and Kratos, autonomous systems providers AEVEX and Ondas, modular drone and software maker Red Cat, and domestic parts maker Unusual Machines. x.com 

AEVEX's private-equity owner has begun its exit early, confirming the overhang. Per AEVEX's S-1, Madison Dearborn launched a secondary offering priced at $27, with underwriters waiving the October lockup so it can sell now; the stock closed at $24.61. Madison Dearborn will still control about 70% of voting power, so this is only the beginning of its exit. The filing also confirms Ukraine end-users were a substantial portion of 2025 revenue. The Q1 beat and new Air Force contract are real. x.com 

Drone stocks look obvious winners for the next few years as one of the earliest clear beneficiaries of the robotics revolution. Ondas and AVEX are the preferred exposures, and AeroVironment is also a great pick whose pullback looks overdone relative to its fundamental story. x.com 

AEVEX Aerospace actually manufactures drones at scale, while Ondas mostly issues shares, making AEVEX the far better long. AEVEX did $432.9M of 2025 revenue to Ondas's $50.7M at 72% of the market cap, with $503M of funded backlog toward an $800M 2026 guide and 1,000 drones a month from Tampa. Ondas lacks a consolidated US factory, its share count went from 49M to 482M in three years, and it trades at 23-28x forward sales versus AEVEX's 4.5x. AEVEX's October lockup expiry is worth trimming into. … Show more

Aevex Aerospace isn't cheap just because its EV/revenue or price-to-sales multiples look reasonable next to AeroVironment and Kratos. A dollar of Aevex revenue is not worth the same, as those two have much more sophisticated technology, while Aevex focuses on low-cost drones, an even more competitive market. It is worth considering only once people stop talking about it. x.com 

Small-cap defense stocks such as Red Cat, AEVEX and Kraken Robotics look like buying opportunities after a sell-the-news drop following the Iran strikes, because the thesis has only gotten stronger. The U.S. lacks enough drones, interceptors, mine-hunting technology and critical metals, and a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget should bring a wave of fresh contracts as it advances. The Iran war is a major catalyst even though Lockheed, Kratos and Red Cat have fallen 15-19% in a month. x.com