Big Boon for Drone Manufacturers as Drone Usage for Defense and Military Operations Surge


PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FN Media Group News Commentary - Military warfare today is shifting from the conventional notion that better firepower provides an edge on the battlefield, to which side has the better intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. This phase of electronic warfare has created a huge demand for the use of Military Drones (UAVs) in the military sector. UAVs do not need a crew on-board for flight, and can be autonomous or remotely-controlled by human personnel from a safe distance. A recent industry report on Military Drones said that: “Aside from ISR, UAVs are also employed for offenses. UAVs as big as a small aircraft have the capacity to carry missiles into the battlefield, while autonomous UAVs, also called drones, which can be the size of a wingspan of a bird, are used for kamikaze warfare. Such capabilities make drones a must-have for any military, allowing for major push-back to the enemy from the safety of the ground stations. For instance, in April 2023, Ukraine announced that it had procured over 300 DJI Mavic 3T UAVs and send on the front lines. The thermal and zoom capabilities of these UAVs make them ideal to gather intelligence on ground zero.” Military Drones added that: “By Product Type: Fixed Wing Segment to Hold Major Share Owing to its Increasing Use for Long Distance Operations - By product type, the market is classified into rotary wing, fixed wing, and hybrid wing.  The fixed wing segment held the highest share of the military drone market in 2023 and is expected to continue its dominance during the projected period. Compared to VTOL UAVs, fixed-wing aircraft are able to carry heavier loads for longer flight times while using less power. This implies they are best suited for missions, including mapping, strategic defense, defense, and surveillance, which require high durability. Various military authorities globally use it to great effect in the defense industry. All these factors drive the segment growth during the projected period.”   Active Tech Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT).

Military Drones continued: “By System Analysis: Airframe Segment to Dominate Due to Increasing Adoption of UAVs in Military - The airframe segment held the highest market share in 2023. During the forecast period, this segment will continue to lead. This segment results from an increasing adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for a wide range of defense operations, including surveillance, observation, reconnaissance, and combat… The payload segment is expected to grow throughout the projection period. The segmental growth is attributed to the growing incorporation of payloads such as cameras, radar, sensors, weapons, and others into the UAVs.”

ZenaTech Inc.’s (NASDAQ:ZENA) Signs Blue UAS and NDAA Compliant Supply Chain Partners to Sell to US Defense Branches and NATO Forces – ZenaTech, a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone solutions and enterprise SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) solutions, announces that it has signed Blue Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant partner agreements for its supply chain in order to sell its ZenaDrone 1000 AI drone solutions to US Defense branches and to NATO forces. Through its subsidiary ZenaDrone, the Company recently participated in a Taiwan Trade Mission organized by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) that directly resulted in these partnerships.

ZenaTech can now confirm that all ZenaDrone’s electrical components and supply chain will comply with NDAA standards. ZenaDrone previously completed paid trials with both the US Air Force and US Naval Research using its drones for carrying critical cargo -- such as blood -- in the field.

“Our strategic relationship with the Arizona Commerce Authority has resulted in these important NDAA-compliant partners needed in order to qualify for the Blue UAS list. The next step is to complete the Green UAS list process, then we will be ready for the Blue UAS certification to be able to execute our plans to do more business with military organizations in the US, NATO and beyond,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

NDAA compliance refers to adhering to the provisions outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a set of US federal laws passed every year that specify the budget and expenditures for the Department of Defense (DoD) and address growing cybersecurity concerns. For a product to be NDAA compliant, it must not be produced by a set list of Chinese manufacturers. This provision extends to products, chipsets, cameras, displays, and other technology used.

The Blue UAS program is a stringent government approved supplier list of drone companies that wish to do business with the US DoD. Suppliers must meet strict NDAA cyber security and supply chain sourcing requirements. The Green UAS program is essential, the same as the blue UAS program, only with a more streamlined and faster process and without the specifications on country of origin for manufacturing.

The ACA is a longstanding ZenaDrone partner and Arizona will be the site for DoD demonstrations. The company plans to host these demonstrations in the Arizona desert near the ZenaDrone offices in Phoenix. – Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

Additional ZenaTech Inc. Developments - ZENA Announced Revenue Increase of 15% for the Third Quarter Ended September 30th, 2024 and Provides Corporate Highlights - ZenaTech also announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, and provides highlights from the quarter. Revenue increased by $166,886, representing a 15% increase for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as compared to the same period of 2023. For more information, please refer to the Company’s Form 6-K filed on November 14, 2024, which can be accessed on the SEC website

Other recent developments in the technology industry include:

AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS) a leading provider of best-in-class unmanned aerial systems (UAS), sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, recently announced it has secured 17 new purchase orders for eBee TAC drones from U.S. defense and security customers.

Bill Irby, CEO of AgEagle commented, “We are grateful to reach a pivotal milestone in the execution of our U.S. defense and security market growth strategy outlined previously in my letter to shareholders. With the increasing demand for our eBee TAC drones, we are strategically positioned to lead in the Tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) vertical. This demand fuels our commitment to developing innovative UAS platforms designed to solve complex operational challenges and close critical gaps in tactical ISR. Leveraging our expertise, we will continue advancing UAS solutions that provide defense and security operators with precise real-time intelligence, ensuring that we meet and exceed the evolving needs of our defense partners while strengthening our commitment to building long-term shareholder value.”

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) has successfully integrated the Q-53 multi-mission radar (MMR) with Anduril’s Lattice Command and Control (C2) environment during the U.S. Central Command Desert Guardian exercise held at Fort Drum earlier this month. Desert Guardian is part of a set of exercises aimed at filling key gaps in its ability to detect and track drone threats.

During Desert Guardian, Lockheed Martin’s Q-53 MMR rapidly integrated into the Lattice C2 Network and pushed data to Lattice to integrate and create a common air picture. This integration demonstrated the capability to significantly enhance the overall operational picture, enabling more informed and timely decision-making in a netted environment.

RTX Corporation (NYSE: RTX) reported recently that under a scorching desert sun, three uncrewed aerial vehicles scanned miles of rugged terrain, with only the broadest of objectives: to search an area for threats.

The UAVs picked up RF energy to detect possible threats, assessed the risk they posed, and recorded their locations. Within seconds, the UAVs sent the data to a command station on the ground, which tasked other UAVs to confirm the targets and simulate a strike.

The military exercise in Yuma, Arizona, was part of the U.S. Army's EDGE24 experiment, where teams from RTX businesses Collins Aerospace and Raytheon did something in flight that they had only done in simulations.

Palladyne AI Corp. (PDYN), recently announced an expanded partnership with Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT) and its Teal Drones subsidiary ("Teal"), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations. The broadened relationship includes joint go-to-market activities to be coordinated between the companies.

In early October, Palladyne AI and Red Cat announced that they had partnered to embed Palladyne AI’s artificial intelligence software into Teal drones, including those already in the field, to enable autonomous operation and expand drone system capabilities to facilitate the creation of a network of collaborating drones and sensors that self-orchestrate to provide superior intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Palladyne AI and Teal’s expanded partnership will include joint sales and marketing for Palladyne AI’s artificial intelligence software on Teal drones. Palladyne Pilot is expected to be available on all Teal drones and will be included in new drones shipped to customers who desire the features and functionality provided by the platform.

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