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 ZenaDrone will commence testing work this quarter on a high density battery for the ZenaDrone 1000 multifunction AI drone designed for defense and commercial applications. High density batteries are lightweight and enable longer drone flight times, more reliability and endurance for longer defense missions, heavier payloads, and greater operational success of a wide range of military applications. ZenaDrone will use the batteries from ZenaTech’s affiliated company Galaxy Batteries Inc.

“High density batteries are key to longer flight times and reliability in the harsh conditions of military defense operations such as cargo and resupply, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. We will test to ensure these batteries will provide the customization, cost savings, supply chain control and superior performance we require. This is important to our goal to become a Blue UAS- certified supplier to sell to US defense branches and other military organizations,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

ZenaDrone 1000 is an autonomous multifunction drone offering stable flight, maneuverability, heavy lift capabilities, innovative software technology, sensors, AI, and purpose-built attachments, along with compact and rugged hardware engineered for military and industrial use. The company previously completed two paid trials with the US Air Force and the US Navy Reserve for logistics and transportation applications carrying critical cargo, such as blood, in the field.

The company previously announced that its supply chain is fully NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) compliant and that it plans to apply for Green UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) followed by Blue UAS certification, an approved supplier list for drone companies.

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, which extends to the chipsets, cameras, displays and other technology used.

The Blue UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) program is a stringent government approved supplier list of drone companies that wish to do business with the US DoD; suppliers including ZenaDrone must meet strict NDAA cybersecurity and supply chain sourcing requirements. The Green UAS program is essentially the same as the Blue UAS program but has a more streamlined and faster certification process without the specifications on country of origin.