June 1 (Reuters) - Motorola Solutions said on Monday it will buy Israeli startup D-Find Solutions for $1.5 billion, as governments and critical infrastructure operators around the world scramble to take defensive measures to counter the growing threat of unidentified drones.

The company's shares rose by more than two percent.

Attacks on critical infrastructure such as data centers in the US-Israeli war on Iran and the recent closure of airports across Europe have demonstrated the need for systems that can intercept drones without disrupting communications or causing damage.

Last year, the Safer Skies Act was passed in the United States, allowing authorized state police officers to seize and safely land unauthorized drones. This created a new market for drone control tools like D-Find.

The private company was founded in 2016 and produces technology that uses radio waves to control rogue drones in flight, rather than disrupting their signals or shooting them down.

Its flagship product, Enforce Air, is used in more than 30 countries, including NATO member states, to protect military sites, airports, and critical infrastructure. The technology is also used by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, and Justice.

"Unwanted drones have turned our skies into a scene of unforeseen dangers, where simply detecting them is no longer enough," said Greg Brown, CEO and Chairman of Motorola Solutions, in a statement Monday.

This deal follows Motorola Solutions’ $4.4 billion acquisition last year of Cellophus, a company that provides secure communications and networks for drones, giving it drone and counter-drone capabilities.

The company said the D-Find deal is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of this year. Motorola Solutions says D-Find has seen annual revenue growth of more than 50 percent over the past three years and is projected to reach $185 million in revenue for 2026.

The market for counter-drone systems was valued at $2.47 billion in 2026, and research firm Mordor Intelligence says it is expected to reach $8.42 billion by 2031.