$ZENA UPDATED -- ZenaTech Develops Low-Cost, Single-Use Autonomous Interceptor Drone for ZenaDrone’s Counter-UAS System for US Defense, Middle East, and Ukraine Use
ZenaTech Inc.
Tue, March 17, 2026 at 12:10 PM EDT 6 min read
ZENA ZenaTech Inc. -Designed to defeat enemy drones at a fraction of the cost of conventional air defense systems
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"
, a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its ZenaDrone subsidiary has initiated development of a prototype for a small, one-way interceptor drone designed to stop hostile drones by physically intercepting them in flight. The prototype, called Interceptor P-1, is an autonomous and expendable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)-design drone that can be added to the company’s counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) defense system offering dramatically lower costs than traditional air munitions.
The drone addresses a critical asymmetry in modern warfare. Adversaries routinely deploy low-cost commercial and military drones at scale, while conventional intercept solutions, including surface-to-air missiles and laser systems, carry costs that are orders of magnitude higher than the threats they defeat. The Interceptor P-1 prototype is being purpose-built to reverse this equation.
“The drone threat on modern battlefields is accelerating faster than legacy defense budgets can absorb. Our Interceptor P-1 is being developed to give military and security forces an affordable, scalable answer by creating an interceptor and anti-drone system for a new world of asymmetric warfare,” said Shaun Passley, PhD, ZenaTech CEO. “Our strategy is to offer defense customers a full-spectrum of counter-drone solutions based on persistent maritime patrol with the ZenaDrone 2000 and IQ Glider launch station. Our emerging technologies are also forming a comprehensive, layered, counter-UAS ecosystem for land, sea, and littoral environments with the expendable point-intercept capabilities of the Interceptor P-1. This is exactly the kind of integrated, cost-effective capability that modern defense procurement demands.”
With versatile launch options planned, including ground, vehicle, and maritime deployment via the company’s IQ Glider, maritime drone platform, the Interceptor P-1 is being built to respond rapidly across multiple environments. By offering scalable interception capabilities, it is designed to help defense forces protect critical infrastructure, manage enemy drone swarms, and complement existing air defense systems as a strategic addition to ZenaDrone counter-UAS platform.
The company is targeting an initial prototype completion in the upcoming months and will provide further updates on product development, regulatory milestones, and defense and government agency engagement and pilots as progress continues.
The global counter-UAS market is growing at over 25% per year, projected to exceed $10 billion by 2030 according to Markets and Markets, driven by intensifying drone warfare in multiple active theaters and the proliferation of commercially available drones repurposed for battlefield use. ZenaTech management believes the company is positioning the Interceptor P-1 for future procurement contract opportunities with allied governments, NATO partners, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense customers.
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 applications for business, government and defense. 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, government, and industrial sectors, and drones being implemented in these plus agriculture, defense, and logistics sectors, ZenaTech’s portfolio of solutions helps drive speed, accuracy, and cost savings. The Company operates through global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan, and UAE, and is growing its DaaS business and global network of locations through acquisitions.
About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous 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 surveying, monitoring, inspection, tracking, process automation, and defense applications.
Currently, the ZenaDrone 1000 drone is used for crop management applications and critical field cargo applications in the defense sector, the IQ Nano indoor drone is used for inventory management and security in the warehouse and logistics sectors, the IQ Square is an outdoor drone designed for power washing and inspections use in commercial and government sectors, and the IQ Quad is for land surveys.
Contacts for more information:
Company, Investors, and Media:
Linda Montgomery
ZenaTech
ZenaTech Inc.
Tue, March 17, 2026 at 12:10 PM EDT 6 min read
ZENA ZenaTech Inc. -Designed to defeat enemy drones at a fraction of the cost of conventional air defense systems
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"
, a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its ZenaDrone subsidiary has initiated development of a prototype for a small, one-way interceptor drone designed to stop hostile drones by physically intercepting them in flight. The prototype, called Interceptor P-1, is an autonomous and expendable vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)-design drone that can be added to the company’s counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) defense system offering dramatically lower costs than traditional air munitions. The drone addresses a critical asymmetry in modern warfare. Adversaries routinely deploy low-cost commercial and military drones at scale, while conventional intercept solutions, including surface-to-air missiles and laser systems, carry costs that are orders of magnitude higher than the threats they defeat. The Interceptor P-1 prototype is being purpose-built to reverse this equation.
“The drone threat on modern battlefields is accelerating faster than legacy defense budgets can absorb. Our Interceptor P-1 is being developed to give military and security forces an affordable, scalable answer by creating an interceptor and anti-drone system for a new world of asymmetric warfare,” said Shaun Passley, PhD, ZenaTech CEO. “Our strategy is to offer defense customers a full-spectrum of counter-drone solutions based on persistent maritime patrol with the ZenaDrone 2000 and IQ Glider launch station. Our emerging technologies are also forming a comprehensive, layered, counter-UAS ecosystem for land, sea, and littoral environments with the expendable point-intercept capabilities of the Interceptor P-1. This is exactly the kind of integrated, cost-effective capability that modern defense procurement demands.”
With versatile launch options planned, including ground, vehicle, and maritime deployment via the company’s IQ Glider, maritime drone platform, the Interceptor P-1 is being built to respond rapidly across multiple environments. By offering scalable interception capabilities, it is designed to help defense forces protect critical infrastructure, manage enemy drone swarms, and complement existing air defense systems as a strategic addition to ZenaDrone counter-UAS platform.
The company is targeting an initial prototype completion in the upcoming months and will provide further updates on product development, regulatory milestones, and defense and government agency engagement and pilots as progress continues.
The global counter-UAS market is growing at over 25% per year, projected to exceed $10 billion by 2030 according to Markets and Markets, driven by intensifying drone warfare in multiple active theaters and the proliferation of commercially available drones repurposed for battlefield use. ZenaTech management believes the company is positioning the Interceptor P-1 for future procurement contract opportunities with allied governments, NATO partners, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense customers.
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 applications for business, government and defense. 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, government, and industrial sectors, and drones being implemented in these plus agriculture, defense, and logistics sectors, ZenaTech’s portfolio of solutions helps drive speed, accuracy, and cost savings. The Company operates through global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan, and UAE, and is growing its DaaS business and global network of locations through acquisitions.
About ZenaDrone
ZenaDrone, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous 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 surveying, monitoring, inspection, tracking, process automation, and defense applications.
Currently, the ZenaDrone 1000 drone is used for crop management applications and critical field cargo applications in the defense sector, the IQ Nano indoor drone is used for inventory management and security in the warehouse and logistics sectors, the IQ Square is an outdoor drone designed for power washing and inspections use in commercial and government sectors, and the IQ Quad is for land surveys.
Contacts for more information:
Company, Investors, and Media:
Linda Montgomery
ZenaTech
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