Spider Vision Sensors Collaborates with Suntek Global to Apply for First Blue UAS Certification of IQ Nano Drone Sensor for US Defense
ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA) announced its subsidiaries ZenaDrone and Spider Vision Sensors are collaborating with Taiwan-based Suntek Global to apply for Blue UAS certification for their IQ Nano drone sensor for US Defense use. The 10x10 inch IQ Nano drone is designed for indoor operations including inventory management, building reconnaissance, and explosives detection.
The company plans to file for Green UAS certification in Q2 2025, which serves as a pathway to Blue UAS certification. While Green UAS is a commercial certification for secure drones, Blue UAS is a military-grade approval with strict country-of-origin requirements excluding Chinese suppliers.
The global military drone market, valued at $14 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $47 billion by 2032. ZenaTech has previously completed paid trials with the US Air Force and Naval Reserve for logistics and transportation applications.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA) ha annunciato che le sue controllate ZenaDrone e Spider Vision Sensors stanno collaborando con la taiwanese Suntek Global per richiedere la certificazione Blue UAS per il loro sensore da drone IQ Nano, destinato all'uso della Difesa statunitense. Il drone IQ Nano, che misura 10x10 pollici, è progettato per operazioni interne, tra cui la gestione dell'inventario, la ricognizione degli edifici e il rilevamento di esplosivi.
L'azienda prevede di presentare domanda per la certificazione Green UAS nel secondo trimestre del 2025, che funge da percorso verso la certificazione Blue UAS. Mentre la certificazione Green UAS è per droni commerciali sicuri, la Blue UAS è un'approvazione di grado militare con requisiti rigorosi sul paese d'origine che escludono i fornitori cinesi.
Il mercato globale dei droni militari, valutato a 14 miliardi di dollari nel 2023, è previsto raggiungere i 47 miliardi di dollari entro il 2032. ZenaTech ha precedentemente completato prove retribuite con l'Air Force statunitense e la Naval Reserve per applicazioni di logistica e trasporto.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA) anunció que sus subsidiarias ZenaDrone y Spider Vision Sensors están colaborando con la empresa taiwanesa Suntek Global para solicitar la certificación Blue UAS para su sensor de dron IQ Nano, destinado a uso de Defensa en EE. UU. El dron IQ Nano, que mide 10x10 pulgadas, está diseñado para operaciones en interiores, incluyendo gestión de inventario, reconocimiento de edificios y detección de explosivos.
La compañía planea presentar su solicitud para la certificación Green UAS en el segundo trimestre de 2025, que sirve como un camino hacia la certificación Blue UAS. Mientras que la certificación Green UAS es una certificación comercial para drones seguros, la Blue UAS es una aprobación de grado militar con estrictos requisitos de país de origen que excluyen a los proveedores chinos.
El mercado global de drones militares, valorado en 14 mil millones de dólares en 2023, se proyecta que alcanzará los 47 mil millones de dólares para 2032. ZenaTech ha completado previamente ensayos pagados con la Fuerza Aérea de EE. UU. y la Reserva Naval para aplicaciones de logística y transporte.
제나테크 (NASDAQ: ZENA)는 자회사 제나드론과 스파이더 비전 센서가 대만에 본사를 둔 선텍 글로벌과 협력하여 미국 방위를 위한 IQ 나노 드론 센서의 블루 UAS 인증을 신청한다고 발표했습니다. 10x10인치 IQ 나노 드론은 재고 관리, 건물 정찰 및 폭발물 탐지를 포함한 실내 작업을 위해 설계되었습니다.
회사는 2025년 2분기 중 그린 UAS 인증을 신청할 계획이며, 이는 블루 UAS 인증으로 가는 경로 역할을 합니다. 그린 UAS 인증은 안전한 드론을 위한 상업적 인증인 반면, 블루 UAS는 중국 공급업체를 배제하는 엄격한 출처 요구 사항이 있는 군용 승인입니다.
2023년 140억 달러로 평가된 글로벌 군용 드론 시장은 2032년까지 470억 달러에 이를 것으로 예상됩니다. 제나테크는 미국 공군 및 해군 예비군과 물류 및 운송 응용 프로그램에 대해 유료 시험을 완료한 바 있습니다.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA) a annoncé que ses filiales ZenaDrone et Spider Vision Sensors collaborent avec l'entreprise taïwanaise Suntek Global pour demander la certification Blue UAS pour leur capteur de drone IQ Nano, destiné à un usage de défense aux États-Unis. Le drone IQ Nano, mesurant 10x10 pouces, est conçu pour des opérations intérieures, y compris la gestion des stocks, la reconnaissance des bâtiments et la détection d'explosifs.
L'entreprise prévoit de déposer une demande de certification Green UAS au cours du deuxième trimestre de 2025, ce qui constitue une voie vers la certification Blue UAS. Alors que la certification Green UAS est une certification commerciale pour des drones sûrs, la Blue UAS est une approbation de niveau militaire avec des exigences strictes concernant le pays d'origine, excluant les fournisseurs chinois.
Le marché mondial des drones militaires, évalué à 14 milliards de dollars en 2023, devrait atteindre 47 milliards de dollars d'ici 2032. ZenaTech a précédemment réalisé des essais payés avec l'Armée de l'Air américaine et la Réserve Navale pour des applications logistiques et de transport.
ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA) hat angekündigt, dass ihre Tochtergesellschaften ZenaDrone und Spider Vision Sensors mit dem taiwanesischen Unternehmen Suntek Global zusammenarbeiten, um die Blue UAS-Zertifizierung für ihren IQ Nano-Drohensensor für den Einsatz durch das US-Verteidigungsministerium zu beantragen. Die 10x10 Zoll große IQ Nano-Drohne ist für den Innenbetrieb konzipiert, einschließlich Bestandsmanagement, Gebäudeaufklärung und Sprengstofferkennung.
Das Unternehmen plant, im zweiten Quartal 2025 einen Antrag auf Green UAS-Zertifizierung zu stellen, die als Weg zur Blue UAS-Zertifizierung dient. Während die Green UAS-Zertifizierung eine kommerzielle Zertifizierung für sichere Drohnen ist, handelt es sich bei der Blue UAS um eine militärische Genehmigung mit strengen Ursprungsanforderungen, die chinesische Anbieter ausschließt.
Der globale Markt für Militärdrohnen, der im Jahr 2023 auf 14 Milliarden Dollar geschätzt wird, wird voraussichtlich bis 2032 auf 47 Milliarden Dollar anwachsen. ZenaTech hat zuvor bezahlte Tests mit der US Air Force und der Naval Reserve für Logistik- und Transportanwendungen abgeschlossen.
- Previous successful completion of paid trials with US Air Force and Naval Reserve
- Targeting $14 billion global military drone market (2023)
- Partnership with certified manufacturer Suntek Global for Blue UAS certification
- Blue UAS certification not yet obtained
- Strict country-of-origin requirements may limit component sourcing options
Insights
The collaboration between Spider Vision Sensors and Suntek Global for Blue UAS certification marks a strategic milestone in ZenaTech's defense market penetration strategy. This initiative targets the
Several key factors make this development particularly significant:
- The partnership with Suntek Global, an experienced manufacturer with existing Blue UAS certifications, significantly increases the probability of successful certification and reduces time-to-market
- The dual-certification strategy (Blue and Green UAS) demonstrates sophisticated market understanding - the Green UAS certification in Q2 2025 could provide faster market access while pursuing the more stringent Blue UAS approval
- Previous successful paid trials with the US Air Force and Naval Reserve validate market demand and provide valuable references for certification
The focus on the 10X10 inch IQ Nano drone for indoor operations positions ZenaTech in a specialized market segment with potentially less competition than the crowded outdoor drone space. The emphasis on inventory management and indoor reconnaissance aligns with the Department of Defense's increasing focus on logistics optimization and cost reduction.
Critical success factors will include:
- Meeting strict country-of-origin requirements, particularly regarding Chinese components
- Leveraging Suntek's manufacturing expertise to ensure compliance
- Successfully navigating the Defense Innovation Unit's rigorous security and performance evaluations
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its subsidiaries ZenaDrone and Spider Vision Sensors are collaborating with Taiwan-based certified electronics manufacturer and partner, Suntek Global, to apply for the company’s first Blue UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) certified IQ Nano drone sensor for use by US Defense branches.
A drone sensor is a device onboard a drone that collects data, such as cameras for imaging, LiDAR for mapping, or infrared sensors for thermal detection. Military and Defense departments use small autonomous indoor drones like the 10X10 inch IQ Nano for various applications such as inventory management, indoor building reconnaissance, search and rescue, training simulations, and explosives detection.
“We have been working with Suntek on Blue UAS certification for our cameras and sensors since signing a partnership agreement in early December, in conjunction with our Spider Vision Sensors manufacturing subsidiary in Taiwan,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D. “Our immediate goal is to utilize Suntek’s expertise having achieved Blue UAS certification, to help us source and manufacture our own compliant components as well as help us with the Blue UAS application process for our components and the IQ Nano drone. If approved, the drone is placed on the Blue UAS Cleared List, allowing military and federal agencies to directly purchase our drones.
“The IQ Nano drone is ideal for indoor operations in scenarios requiring precision, maneuverability, and minimal collateral damage, and can also improve efficiency and costs managing inventories of supplies in the Department of Defense (DoD) warehouse and storage facilities,” concluded Dr. Passley.
The company also intends to file for the less stringent and faster to achieve Green UAS certification for IQ Nano sensor and the drone in the second quarter of 2025. The Green certification is considered a pathway to the Blue certification list, with the main difference being that it is a commercial certification for secure drones led by a drone industry association (AUVSI). The Blue UAS is a military-grade approval for DoD use and has strict country of origin requirements that must not include a set list of Chinese suppliers. The Blue UAS Certification Process for DoD use is managed by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and includes additional security and performance evaluations.
The global military drone market is estimated to be a US
About ZenaTech
ZenaTech (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) is a technology company specializing in AI drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions for mission-critical business applications. Since 2017, the company has leveraged its software development expertise and grown its drone design and manufacturing capabilities through ZenaDrone, to innovate and improve customer inspection, monitoring, safety, security, compliance, and surveying processes. With enterprise software customers using branded solutions in law enforcement, health, government, and industrial sectors, and drones being implemented in these plus agriculture, defense, and logistics sectors, ZenaTech’s portfolio of solutions helps drive exceptional operational efficiencies, accuracy and cost savings. The company operates through seven global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan, and UAE, and is growing a DaaS business model and global partner network.
About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous business drone solutions that can incorporate machine learning software, AI, predictive modeling, Quantum Computing, and other software and hardware innovations. Created to revolutionize the hemp farming sector, its specialization has grown to multifunctional drone solutions for industrial surveillance, monitoring, inspection, tracking, process automation and defense applications. Currently, the ZenaDrone 1000 drone is used for crop management applications in agriculture and critical field cargo applications in the defense sector, and the IQ Nano indoor drone is used for inventory management in the warehouse and logistics sectors.
About Suntek Global
Suntek Global, founded in 2001, is an ISO9001 certified electronic manufacturer of tailored thermal and visible imaging vision solutions. They understand that most innovative embedded vision solutions do not demand large-scale manufacturing. Therefore, Suntek Global’s combination of precision engineering processes with cost-effective manufacturing practices, enables the delivery of high-quality, specialized electronic devices without the traditional constraints of scale. This agile approach to high-mix/low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing allows Suntek Global to effectively cater to the precise needs of clients across industries such as drones, robotics, security, and aerospace. Suntek Global has cost-effectively produced more 100+ highly customized, NDAA compliant thermal and visible imaging embedded vision systems for clients around the global (www.suntekglobal.com).
Contacts for more information:
Company, Investors and Media:
Linda Montgomery
ZenaTech
312-241-1415
investors@zenatech.com
Investors:
Michael Mason
CORE IR
investors@zenatech.com
Safe Harbor
This press release and related comments by management of ZenaTech, Inc. include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws and applicable Canadian securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This forward-looking information relates to future events or future performance of ZenaTech and reflects management’s expectations and projections regarding ZenaTech’s growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “aim”, “seek”, “is/are likely to”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this document includes, but is not limited to ZenaTech’s expectations regarding its revenue, expenses, production, operations, costs, cash flows, and future growth; expectations with respect to future production costs and capacity; ZenaTech's ability to deliver products to the market as currently contemplated, including its drone products including ZenaDrone 1000 and IQ Nano; ZenaTech’s anticipated cash needs and it’s needs for additional financing; ZenaTech’s intention to grow the business and its operations and execution risk; expectations with respect to future operations and costs; the volatility of stock prices and market conditions in the industries in which ZenaTech operates; political, economic, environmental, tax, security, and other risks associated with operating in emerging markets; regulatory risks; unfavorable publicity or consumer perception; difficulty in forecasting industry trends; the ability to hire key personnel; the competitive conditions of the industry and the competitive and business strategies of ZenaTech; ZenaTech’s expected business objectives for the next twelve months; ZenaTech’s ability to obtain additional funds through the sale of equity or debt commitments; investment capital and market share; the ability to complete any contemplated acquisitions; changes in the target markets; market uncertainty; ability to access additional capital, including through the listing of its securities in various jurisdictions; management of growth (plans and timing for expansion); patent infringement; litigation; applicable laws, regulations, and any amendments affecting the business of ZenaTech.
FAQ
What is ZenaTech's (ZENA) IQ Nano drone and what are its military applications?
What is the difference between Blue UAS and Green UAS certification that ZENA is pursuing?
What is the projected market size for military drones that ZENA is targeting?
Which military branches has ZENA previously conducted trials with?
When does ZENA plan to file for Green UAS certification?
