1414 Degrees Recruits Pentagon and Defence Prime Veterans to Sell SiNTL Into Drones
1414 Degrees assembles Pentagon and defence prime veterans to drive SiNTL drone commercialisation
1414 Degrees (ASX: 14D) has established a six-member Aerospace, Drone & Defence Advisory Board, bringing together former senior executives from DroneShield, Lockheed Martin, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, GE Aviation, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Elsight, alongside national security leaders with direct Pentagon, White House, and Joint Chiefs of Staff experience. Chief Technology and Operations Officer Peter Yaron will serve alongside the six external members, heading the Division’s technical and operational direction.
The appointments span the USA, Middle East and Israel, and Asia-Pacific, and are designed to accelerate commercialisation of SiNTL, the company’s silicon nanoparticle battery anode technology, which has demonstrated 530 mAh/g specific capacity in test cells, approximately 50% higher than the theoretical maximum of conventional graphite anodes (~370 mAh/g). The Advisory Board’s formation follows the commencement of the SiNTL scale-up programme to produce manufacturer-level quantities of silicon anode material.
Dr Kevin Moriarty, Executive Chairman
“The formation of this Advisory Board marks a significant step in 1414 Degrees’ commercialisation journey. We have brought together six experts with direct relationships across the Pentagon, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Northrop Grumman, Rafael, GE Aviation, BAE Systems and many other leading organisations — people who understand both the technology and the procurement pathways that matter in this sector. The biggest constraint on these systems is battery performance. We believe SiNTL™ addresses that problem directly.”
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Why drones, why now — the $1.5 trillion market tailwind behind 14D’s strategic pivot
Drone dominance as a presidential priority
On 28 May 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House, Pentagon, and Office of Strategic Capital are in talks to fund U.S. drone companies in an effort to boost drone supply for national security. The Office of Strategic Capital is a government funding agency established specifically to support companies deemed critical to national security supply chains.
Separately, President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defence budget request for FY2027, as reported by Reuters on 21 April 2026, designates drone dominance as a “presidential priority,” signalling that drones and UAVs are now recognised as mission-critical tools of modern warfare. For energy storage technology suppliers, this level of executive-branch commitment creates direct procurement and funding tailwinds.
The battery bottleneck every drone faces
Battery performance is the single most binding constraint on drone capability. Unlike ground-based applications, drones are acutely weight-sensitive, meaning energy density directly determines flight time, range, and payload capacity. The SiNTL technology addresses this bottleneck through several attributes that align closely with the drone market’s specific requirements:
- SiNTL has demonstrated 530 mAh/g specific capacity versus the ~370 mAh/g theoretical maximum of conventional graphite anodes, representing approximately 50% higher energy density
- Drones require far fewer charge-discharge cycles than electric vehicles, making them the optimal early commercial market for silicon anode technology at its current maturity stage
- SiNTL is being developed as a direct drop-in replacement for graphite anodes in existing lithium-ion battery production lines, reducing adoption barriers for battery cell manufacturers
- The aluminium coating process supports faster charge rates than graphite, a commercially significant feature for high-utilisation military and commercial fleet operators
- The proprietary aluminium coating process, developed by Professor Michael Wagner’s team at George Washington University (GWU), renders the nanoparticles air- and water-stable, a critical safety and handling attribute for defence-grade battery production
Meet the board — six advisers with direct access to the rooms that matter
Each adviser brings a distinct network and area of expertise. The table below summarises the standout credential and key mandate for each member.
| Adviser | Former Organisations | Standout Credential | Key Mandate for 14D | Region Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Walker (Head of Advisory Board) | DroneShield (ASX: DRO) | CEO and Managing Director who led DroneShield through its successful ASX IPO in 2016 | Go-to-market strategy, early revenue opportunities, licensing framework development, capital markets positioning | Asia-Pacific / Global |
| Bryan Berthy | Lockheed Martin (UAV division), GE Aviation / GE Ventures | Lead Engineer for the F-16 Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance System; Entrepreneur in Residence at GE Ventures investing in eVTOL and drone air traffic control | eVTOL integration, unmanned systems market development, defence avionics and procurement engagement | USA |
| Ron Goldner | Elsight (ASX: ELS), ALGOLiON (acquired by General Motors) | Led ALGOLiON commercialisation through acquisition by General Motors | B2G sales, UAV sector business development, Israeli and Middle East ecosystem access, sovereign fund introductions | Middle East / Israel / USA |
| John Keith King | Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, White House, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff | Lead Engineer for the U.S. Presidential Direct Communications Link; holds Top Secret/SCI clearance with Yankee White Access | U.S. and allied defence market access, Pentagon engagement, defence procurement strategy, sovereign fund introductions | USA / NATO |
| Eli Gur | Elsight (ASX: ELS), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems | As VP Products at Elsight, tripled the company’s product lines and drove the platform from a proof of concept of approximately 250 units to production readiness for over 10,000 units | UAV/UGV product strategy, concept-to-production readiness, Israeli defence market access | Israel / Middle East |
| Cpt Russ Matijevich | Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, SAIC | Chief Innovation Officer at Airbus U.S. Space & Defense; served as Deputy Director of Space Policy at the Pentagon; oversaw a $600 million budget and $1.3 billion in contracts on the Transformational Communications Satellite programme | UAV positioning for U.S. and allied procurement, Congressional and Executive Branch engagement, strategic partnerships with defence primes | USA / UK / Australia |
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Investment thesis — advisory appointments as a commercialisation accelerant
What the board is expected to unlock
The Advisory Board has been structured to deliver across six commercially material areas:
- Sales and go-to-market strategy for the drone division
- Formal material evaluations with battery manufacturers, representing potential early revenue opportunities
- Defence market access across the U.S., NATO, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific
- Sovereign and strategic fund introductions
- M&A, joint venture, and licensing identification
- Congressional and Executive Branch profile-building
Remuneration structure aligned with shareholder value
The Advisory Board’s remuneration is designed to align adviser incentives directly with medium-term share price performance. All securities have been issued for nil cash consideration as part of Advisory Board remuneration.
- 1 million ordinary shares (escrowed for 4 months) plus 11 million unlisted options issued in total
- Exercise prices ranging from A$0.20 to A$0.50
- Expiry dates spanning 30 June 2028 to 30 June 2030, aligning advisers with share price performance across FY28–FY30
The Advisory Board’s formation follows the establishment of the Aerospace, Drone & Defence Division on 13 May 2026, and runs concurrently with the SiNTL scale-up programme targeting manufacturer-level quantities of silicon anode material. The intent is clear: the Advisory Board provides the commercial and government network to convert a technically validated material into defensible, early-stage revenue. As the scale-up programme progresses current industry discussions into formal material evaluations, these six advisers are positioned to open the procurement doors that matter most.
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