Drones as a Service (DaaS) Delivering Future-Ready Drone Operations for Today's Military and Defense Services

MarketNewsUpdates News Commentary

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- Drone as a Service (DaaS) is now applied and provides on-demand aerial data and imagery for industries like Agriculture, Construction/Real Estate, Energy/Utilities Military and Defense operations. The Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) market is experiencing explosive growth, with estimates placing the global market at roughly $33.55 billion in 2025, projected to skyrocket to over $550 billion by 2034, growing at a massive CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of around 36-37%. Key drivers include expanding applications in agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and parcel delivery, regulatory changes easing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, and advancements in data analytics, with North America leading the charge. According to a recent report from Mordor Intelligence said that: "The North America drone services market size was USD 12.55 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 31.13 billion by 2030, growing at a 19.92% CAGR. The growth trajectory is underpinned by fast-moving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rulemaking on beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, expanding 5G connectivity, and rising enterprise demand for low-carbon data capture. A shift from hardware sales toward service-centric business models is encouraging specialized operators in analytics, training, and maintenance. The North American drone services market, for platform services, led with a 57.20% revenue share in 2024, reflecting the central role of piloting, data capture, and processing packages. Enterprises relied on turnkey flight teams and cloud analytics to streamline adoption, sustaining fee-based recurring revenue across energy, construction, and agriculture verticals. Hardware commoditization led providers to focus on value-added insights, and bundled service contracts contributed to expanding average deal sizes in 2025." Active Companies in the drone industry this week include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS), AIRO Group Holdings (NASDAQ: AIRO), Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR).

Mordor Intelligence continued: "Training and simulation grew fastest at a 24.41% CAGR as labor shortfalls increased demand for scenario-based modules covering BVLOS procedures, swarm oversight, and advanced payload operation. Providers adopted mixed-reality simulators aligned with FAA Practical Test Standards, compressing time-to-currency and meeting insurers' proficiency requirements. As BVLOS rules mature, certification refresh programs are expected to accelerate, further lifting the North American commercial drone services market. The United States dominates the North American commercial drone services market in 2024, accounting for 86.51% of the market size, supported by the FAA's structured waiver process, extensive venture funding, and a dense enterprise client base. Federal test sites in Oklahoma, New York, and North Dakota facilitated technology validation, while defense grants under the DIU Blue UAS program accelerated the domestic scale-up of manufacturing. Congressional oversight of Part 108 BVLOS rulemaking further strengthened investor confidence."

ZenaTech Launches Q1 2026 Opening of the Zena AI Baton Rouge R&D Center, Supporting U.S. Defense, DARPA, Federal AI, and Quantum Computing Initiatives - ZenaTech, Inc. ($ZENA) (NASDAQ: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) ("ZenaTech"), a technology business solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, provides an update on its previously announced Zena AI division Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Research and Development (R&D) Center and launches the opening planned for the first quarter of 2026.

The Zena AI R&D center will support U.S. Department of War (DoW), DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), and federal agency requirements through the development of secure, defense-oriented artificial intelligence systems enhanced by quantum computing research. The facility will focus on mission-critical research areas including AI-driven decision-support systems, autonomous and semi-autonomous intelligence architectures, advanced sensor and data fusion, secure edge intelligence, and quantum-enhanced optimization and modeling.

"Launching a Q1 2026 opening reflects the progress we are making toward building a dedicated, U.S.-based research hub aligned with national defense priorities while strengthening our capacity and skillsets needed for accelerated development of future-ready ZenaDrone solutions," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. "The center is designed to support defense, intelligence, and federal agencies with high-assurance AI and emerging quantum-enabled capabilities developed within the United States." 

The Batan Rouge facility will bring together a multidisciplinary team of AI software engineers, data scientists, systems engineers, and drone technology specialists, helping to grow Louisiana's technology workforce through high-skilled roles, enhanced university partnerships, and deeper collaboration with defense organizations. Research will support a broad range of defense and homeland security applications, including autonomous navigation, multi-drone and fleet coordination, real-time decision-support models, and intuitive control interfaces such as app- or voice-directed operational commands.

The Baton Rouge center will also contribute to development of Eagle Eye, an initiative integrating AI drones, historical and real-time data, and quantum computing to deliver predictive insights, accelerated decision-making, and optimized battlefield performance. These initiatives are aligned with the White House's AI Action Plan and the three Executive Orders issued on July 23, 2025, which prioritize domestic AI innovation, infrastructure development, and deployment of ideologically neutral AI technologies. Continued… Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting:  https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc (NYSE: UAVS) (dba, EagleNXT), a leading provider of full stack drone, sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, recently provided a recap of its operational and strategic achievements in 2025 and outlines key priorities and expected growth drivers for 2026. The Company's 2025 performance reflects continued momentum in defense adoption, commercial innovation and agronomic research, global service and support expansion, and enhancements to its capital structure designed to support scale.

"EagleNXT experienced 2025 as a defining year, which we expect will pave the way for future success and value creation," stated Bill Irby, EagleNXT CEO. "As demand for mission-ready, NDAA-compliant unmanned systems increased, we advanced our technical capabilities and delivered for U.S. and allied military customers. We continue to innovate and advance our sensor and drone capabilities for greater research and productivity in many commercial and agricultural applications and positioned the Company with a more flexible capital structure to support scale. The momentum we created this year provides a strong foundation for accelerated growth in commercial and defense sectors, in operational expansion, and deeper alignment with the mission requirements of domestic and international government partners."

AIRO Group Holdings (NASDAQ: AIRO) recently announced the successful completion of the first RQ‑35 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) drones produced to full operational standard in its U.S. manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona. This marks the first U.S.-manufactured RQ‑35 systems and a major step forward in the company's Made‑in‑America expansion strategy.

The systems--built to the same specifications as those produced at AIRO's Denmark facility--completed Phase 1 of the U.S. manufacturing and validation program. This phase encompassed system assembly, including integration of all major components and complete system build-up. The aircraft then underwent a comprehensive flight‑test campaign, concluding with successful final flights on December 11.

Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) recently announced plans for a new UK engineering hub in South West England, a region with a long history in aerospace and defence. The company, through its newly established UK subsidiary, intends to build and grow a team in the country to support its work in the region.

Last week's announcement from Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace highlighted the companies' joint work in support of the British Army's Project NYX and the Ministry of Defence's Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform programme, but will also involve exploration of other opportunities at GKN Aerospace's Isle of Wight airframe production facility. GKN Aerospace, a world leading, UK based aerospace manufacturing supplier, will be working alongside Archer and Anduril, with Archer contributing its latest advancements in eVTOL aircraft development and hybrid propulsion to meet the British Army's operational requirements.

Ondas Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS), a leading provider of autonomous aerial and ground robot intelligence through its Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS) business unit and private wireless solutions through Ondas Networks, recently announced that OAS and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (FWB:HDD) ("HEIDELBERG"), a global leader in technology and mechanical engineering, enter into negotiations to advance joint engineering, manufacturing, and deployment efforts across Europe. A MOU was signed today during a ceremony marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel, in the presence of both nations' Ministers of Economy. OAS and HEIDELBERG intend to jointly examine the establishment of European manufacturing and integration capacity across Ondas' autonomous systems portfolio. The focus will be on counter-UAV (C-UAV) solutions and ISR systems (Intelligence, Surveillance und Reconnaissance).

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