Foundation in talks for 1,000 Israeli military robots

By Grace Kim

Foundation Future Industries is discussing a potential order of up to 1,000 Phantom MK1 humanoid robots for Israel’s military, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 11.

No contract has been announced. The Israel Defense Forces referred the newspaper’s questions to Israel’s Defense Ministry, which declined to comment. No signed contract or purchase order has been reported.

The distinction matters because the 1,000-unit figure describes a possible deal, not confirmed capacity, revenue, or deliveries.

What is Foundation discussing with Israel?

Co-founder and president Mike LeBlanc, a former Marine, told the Financial Times: “We’re in direct talks with the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.” The talks concern supplying robots for operations in Hamas tunnels under Gaza and possibly for combat use, the newspaper reported, citing the company.

LeBlanc said he met senior IDF officers in September and toured Gaza tunnels with a Phantom MK1. He did not announce an Israeli deployment, order, or delivery schedule.

Foundation says the Phantom can perform three tasks intended to replace soldiers in confined environments:

• Detect trip wires.
• Neutralize booby traps.
• Breach doors.

LeBlanc denied that the company was building a Terminator. The report disclosed no Israeli unit price or delivery schedule for the potential order.

How mature is the Phantom MK1?

Foundation was founded in 2024. A June BBC investigation described the MK1 as still in development, without an internal battery or sealing against water and dust. Those gaps leave operating and tunnel-readiness questions unresolved as the company pursues military contracts.

The Telegraph reported that two Phantom MK1 units went to Ukraine for testing in February and put the price at about $150,000 per robot. That figure was a reported price rather than a disclosed Israeli unit cost.

No purchase terms connect the reported $150,000 price to the possible 1,000-unit order. The company has also not disclosed how it would maintain, transport, or support a large Israeli deployment.

What military work does Foundation already have?

Foundation won a $24 million Pentagon contract this year to test the Phantom with the Marine Corps. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called the award “corruption in plain sight.”

LeBlanc said the company and a firm it acquired have received more than $70 million in U.S. military contracts and funding. That aggregate has not been independently confirmed and should not be treated as booked revenue.

The $24 million award is a specific contract. LeBlanc’s $70 million figure combines contracts and funding across two entities and remains unverified.

What does Eric Trump’s role change?

Eric Trump holds shares in Foundation and became its chief strategic adviser in March. His spokesperson said he takes no part in day-to-day management or government contract negotiations. The spokesperson also said he never introduced Foundation to a government agency.

LeBlanc said Trump played no part in winning contracts and described him as very valuable in the adviser role. The arrangement places the son of the U.S. president inside a defense contractor’s strategic leadership.

No government influence in the reported Israeli discussions has been disclosed. The Trump relationship nevertheless adds scrutiny to a company already holding a $24 million Pentagon testing award.

What would a signed deal change?

A signed 1,000-unit purchase would move Foundation beyond pilot testing into scaled military supply. At that scale, the proposed order would compare with the two Phantom systems reportedly tested in Ukraine in February.

However, the missing internal battery, absent protection against water and dust, and lack of an announced Israeli contract leave timing and final pricing uncertain. The immediate commercial test is whether Israel converts preliminary talks into a firm order, and whether Foundation can support that order while completing the MK1.