Counter-drone spending triples by 2030 amid defense priority shift

Counter-Drone Spending Set to Triple by 2030 as Drone Defense Becomes a Spending Priority

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FN Media News Commentary - Governments are on an arms and domestic security buying spree as traditional air defense systems are being replaced by layered networks that can detect, identify, track, and neutralize a large number of low-cost drones. Fortune Business Insights estimates the global counter-UAS market will grow from $14.41 billion in 2026 to $55.25 billion in 2034, at a CAGR of 22.4%. Likewise, MarketsandMarkets estimates the global C-UAS market will grow from $6.6 billion in 2025 to $20.3 billion in 2030, and the US market will reach $8.60 billion by 2030 from $2.49 billion in 2025. This isn't limited to the battlefield. Much of this investment is focused on military bases, airports, borders, power grids, government facilities, stadiums, and other sensitive sites that require autonomous or semi-autonomous systems that respond faster than human operators can track, classify, and deploy countermeasures. It represents a massive opportunity for firms offering scalable solutions that incorporate radar, RF, electro-optical sensors, AI-enabled threat classification, electronic warfare, directed energy, and interceptor drones in a single system. Demand for advanced counter-drone technology has accelerated at a massive pace presenting opportunity for active companies in the Drone/UAV industries that may include Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS).

Meanwhile, the competition to become more self-defending is turning the tables on what the systems of the future will look like: not only can software and AI and autonomous systems be used to control a range of platforms than currently have to be manually controlled, but they can also be used to coordinate operations. Recent US Army exercises reportedly brought 1,900 autonomous systems, and the Pentagon has already earmarked 1 billion to buy at least 200,000 drones by 2027 - signposts that we're now very much in a world of swarms of relatively cheap unmanned systems. The US Air Force is reportedly set to order more than 150 semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, evidence of a trend of autonomy moving from an experimental technology to an organizational structure for the military. Today's systems are no longer just radars and jammers, but networks of systems that use AI not only to detect and analyze threats but prioritize and deploy a defense response across multiple systems. Investors should take note of the fact that the worlds of counter-drone tech and autonomous defense are rapidly converging.

Key Market Catalysts for the industry:

• $55.25 billion: Fortune Business Insights' projected global Counter-UAS market by 2034.
• $20.3 billion: MarketsandMarkets' projected global C-UAS market by 2030.
• $8.60 billion: Projected U.S. C-UAS market by 2030, compared with $2.49 billion in 2025.
• $30.03 billion: Value Market Research's 2034 projection for the global counter-drone market.
• AI + autonomy: AI-enabled detection, autonomous threat response, interceptor drones, electronic warfare and layered defense are emerging as core components of next-generation C-UAS architectures.
  
  

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) Announces Strategic Investment from Unusual Machines and a Leading U.S. Investment Fund - Unusual Machines (NYSE American: UMAC) and a leading U.S. Investment Fund make a strategic investment of $10M, each investing $5M into Draganfly, in support of the Company’s growing position in the U.S. defense ecosystem while also gaining access to strategic opportunities in international markets uniquely served by Draganfly. - Draganfly Inc. (FSE: 3U8A) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an industry-leading developer of drone solutions, systems and technologies, announces a US$10 million strategic investment by Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC) and a leading U.S. Investment Fund, each investing $5M (the “Investment”).

This strategic investment comes during a period of accelerating commercial and defense activity for Draganfly across both the United States and Canada, including significant recent procurement milestones with the Canadian Armed Forces and continued important expansion of the Company’s U.S. defense operations. Draganfly intends to use the net proceeds to accelerate the development of advanced strategic capabilities and to fund general working capital in meeting demand for its products in the rapidly maturing U.S. and international markets.

“We are seeing the convergence of customer adoption, government procurement, domestic manufacturing, defense autonomy and strategic industry participation,” said Cameron Chell, CEO and Chairman of Draganfly. “This strategic investment from Unusual Machines and a leading U.S. Investment Fund is about positioning, not size. It is about aligning capabilities that can best serve the industries’ requirements at scale domestically and abroad.”

“America and its allies are entering a period in which the ability to manufacture drones, components and autonomous systems at scale is becoming a strategic capability,” said Dr. Allan Evans, CEO of Unusual Machines. “This investment into Draganfly allows us to support their production growth and deepen our supplier relationships.” The Investment is priced at-market based on the closing price of the Company’s common shares on Friday, September 25, 2026, and represents an important step in the maturation of the US and international drone supply chain and ecosystem.

The Investment is a registered direct offering to purchase 1,869,159 common shares of the Company at a price of US$5.35, for gross proceeds of approximately US$10 million, before deducting placement agent discounts and offering expenses. Jett Capital Advisors, LLC and Northland Capital Markets are acting as joint-lead placement agents in the offering. The Investment is expected to close on or about September 29, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange and notification to the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The Investment is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-10, as amended (File No. 333-290823), previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 25, 2026, and the Company’s Canadian short form base shelf prospectus dated October 24, 2025 (the “Base Shelf Prospectus”). Draganfly will offer and sell the securities in the United States only. No securities will be offered or sold to Canadian purchasers.

A prospectus supplement and accompanying Base Shelf Prospectus relating to the Investment and describing the terms thereof will be filed with the applicable securities commissions in Canada and with the SEC in the United States and will be available for free by visiting the Company’s profiles on the SEDAR+ website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedarplus.ca or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, as applicable. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying Base Shelf Prospectus relating to the Investment may be obtained, when available, by contacting Jett Capital Advisors, LLC, at 712 Fifth Ave, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10019, Attention: General Inquiries, or by telephone at +1-212-616-0430 or by email at info@jettcapital.com, or Northland Securities, Inc., at 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 3300, Minneapolis, MN 55402, Attention: Valencia Day, or by telephone at +1-612-851-4917, or by email at vday@northlandcapitalmarkets.com. Continued… Read this full release and additional news for DPRO by visiting: https://draganfly.com/news/

Drone and UAS breakthroughs are fueling explosive growth across defense, autonomy, surveillance, and battlefield technology for companies including:

Unusual Machines, Inc. (NYSE American: UMAC), a leading manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drone components, recently announced an additional $20 million strategic investment in XTEND AI Robotics Inc. (XTND), a Physical AI company and existing Unusual Machines customer. The additional $20 million brings Unusual Machines' total investment in XTEND to $27.5 million and is part of, and not in addition to, the $110 million financing, which closed in connection with XTEND's business combination and NYSE listing.

The investment reflects Unusual Machines' broader approach to deploying capital across the drone ecosystem and into technologies and companies that complement its core component business.

"We believe drones are part of a much bigger shift toward autonomous systems and robotics," said Allan Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Unusual Machines. "When we look at strategic investments, we look for companies that are expanding what unmanned systems can do, demonstrating an ability to execute, and investing in the U.S. industrial base. XTEND is doing all three very well. We believe they have an important role to play in where the industry is headed."

Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), a U.S. based provider of advanced all domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, announced that its Blue Ops maritime division marked the inaugural Blue Ops Day on September 21 with a celebration at the company’s manufacturing facility in Valdosta, Georgia.

Recognized through proclamations from the State of Georgia and Valdosta-Lowndes County, Blue Ops Day marked the culmination of a year of significant growth for Blue Ops in Georgia. Since leasing its 155,000-square-foot Valdosta facility in September 2025, Blue Ops has expanded its domestic manufacturing capabilities, announced plans to invest $30 million and create more than 200 local jobs, added advanced manufacturing technologies, and begun ramping its Variant 7 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) into full-rate production.

The event recognized that progress with a celebration at the Valdosta facility, where Blue Ops has spent the past year building out the team, technology and infrastructure needed to support U.S. production of its growing family of USVs. Red Cat and Blue Ops leadership were joined by elected officials, employees and community leaders to recognize the milestone and Blue Ops’ growing role in Georgia and the U.S. maritime industrial base.

Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of autonomous systems and next-generation defense and security technologies, announced recently that it has acquired three defense technology businesses, adding advanced capabilities that enhance the Company’s mission capabilities and expand its addressable markets. The acquired businesses bring technologies ranging from systems already deployed in active conflict environments to capabilities positioned for near-term mission integration across Ondas’ existing platforms. The acquisitions are designed to strengthen Ondas’ existing and future autonomous platforms, accelerate the development of integrated solutions and create new opportunities for growth across the defense and autonomous systems markets. 

“These acquisitions reflect our strategy of assembling the critical technologies required to make autonomous systems more capable, resilient and scalable in contested environments,” said Eric Brock, Chairman and CEO of Ondas Inc. “Together, these businesses give Ondas more to sell and more ways to win. They add commercial revenue streams we can grow across our customer base, and they strengthen our ability to pursue larger, longer-term customer programs where we deploy and sustain more capable autonomous systems on behalf of the customers we serve.”

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., (NASDAQ: KTOS), a technology company in the defense, national security and global markets, and GE Aerospace (GE) announced a key program milestone with the successful ignition of the GEK800 turbofan cruise missile propulsion system. Recently, the GEK800 Serial Number 1 was tested at the X-58 test facility, igniting successfully. This achievement initiates a new testing campaign and demonstrates a 100 percent success rate for this critical phase of development, keeping the program on schedule.

Recently designated the F143 and designed to meet the defined requirements of the Department of War for long-range, stand-off strike capabilities, the GEK800 represents a significant advancement in affordable, high-performance cruise missile technology. By leveraging modern engineering and cost-effective manufacturing processes, Kratos and GE Aerospaceare positioned to deliver substantial capability and value to the warfighter.

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