Israeli Innovation in Aerospace: Two Innovations to Watch
Written by Casey laccino, Director of Innovation & Economic Expansion
Every month, we spotlight a couple of the many Israeli companies we work with and share the innovations they are bringing to the market. This month, we are highlighting two companies we recently met with in Washington DC as part of a mission trip that brought 20 Israeli up and coming aerospace and defense companies to the US.
R2 Wireless: Full-spectrum awareness against wireless threats
Tel Aviv–based R2 Wireless builds passive, software-defined RF sensing that exposes, classifies, and geolocates wireless threats across the spectrum—think drone swarms, spoofing, and anomalous signals around bases, convoys, ports, and critical infrastructure. Its ODIN platform is hardware-agnostic, runs on COTS sensors, and uses edge AI for real-time detection and cueing on land, at sea, and in the air. This month, R2 Wireless was named one of eight winners in the U.S. Army’s inaugural xTechDisrupt competition at AUSA 2025, recognizing its passive RF detection, classification, and geolocation approach.
MIBA note: R2 Wireless also joined our MDEX Defense delegation in April 2025, meeting Michigan primes and suppliers during the Detroit expo.
AIR eV (AirEv): Pragmatic eVTOL for cargo and personal flight
AIR eV is pursuing a multi-role eVTOL platform with a piloted two-seat personal aircraft and an uncrewed cargo variant aimed at logistics, medevac, disaster response, and defense support. Published figures point to ~550-lb payload, ~1 hour endurance, and ~135–155 mph top speed (mission-dependent).
Detroit tie-in: AIR eV has backing from a local Detroit investor and manufacturer, aligning its U.S. expansion with Michigan’s advanced manufacturing base.
Why it matters for Michigan
- Supply-chain fit: Sensors, SDRs, edge compute, composites, battery systems, avionics, and integration—strong overlap with Michigan’s aerospace/defense-mobility capabilities.
- Dual-use momentum: Defense-grade sensing and autonomy that can de-risk commercial deployments (C-UAS, low-altitude logistics).
- Rural mobility & access (AIR eV): AIR eV’s cargo and personal eVTOL concepts enable point-to-point travel to and from rural communities, unlocking faster access to medical transport, parts delivery, disaster relief, and everyday connectivity to regional hubs—an excellent match for Michigan’s network of underutilized regional airports and emerging test corridors.
To coordinate introductions or discuss Michigan-based pilots and supplier participation, contact the MIBA team.
