Draganfly Inc. (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), a developer of drone solutions and systems, has announced that, together with F4 Defense International (F4DI), has been selected by DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory for an initial development contract focused on the creation of a modular, multi-layered, integrated counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) platform designed to detect, identify, track, target, and defeat hostile drones in contested operational environments.
The program centers on the development of a mobile counter-drone solution integrating Draganfly’s tethered aerial platform technology with identification, targeting, and defeat system architectures. The solution is designed to provide continuous aerial monitoring, improved situational awareness, and coordinated airborne and ground-based drone mitigation capabilities.
The platform is expected to combine:
- Persistent tethered airborne surveillance and targeting;
- AI-enabled drone identification and tracking;
- Real-time battlefield and base defense situational awareness;
- Integrated electronic and kinetic defeat coordination capabilities;
- Designed for a rapid deployment architecture for expeditionary and fixed-site operations.
The initiative reflects the increasing global focus on counter-drone warfare capabilities as low-cost unmanned aerial threats continue to reshape modern conflicts and critical infrastructure security requirements worldwide.
“The modern battlefield has fundamentally changed,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “Low-cost drones have become one of the most disruptive asymmetric threats facing military forces, governments, and critical infrastructure operators globally. This program represents another important step in Draganfly’s continued expansion into advanced defense and force-protection technologies.”
Recent strategic initiatives from the Department of War, including expanded C-UAS procurement efforts, have indicated the need for cost-effective, deployable, layered counter-drone systems capable of protecting military installations, forward operating positions, and critical national infrastructure.
According to industry research, the global Counter-UAS market is projected to grow to more than US$20 billion by 2030, representing one of the growing segments in the global defense sector.
“This collaboration is focused on delivering an operationally relevant and scalable solution designed around the realities of modern drone warfare,” said Dave Fairfax, COO, F4DI. “By combining persistent aerial sensing, intelligent targeting, and coordinated defeat capabilities, we believe this platform can address a critical and rapidly evolving defense requirement.”
The initial contract phase is expected to focus on systems integration, operational capability development, and field evaluation activities.
Draganfly is expanding its presence within the defense and security sector through the development of autonomous systems, AI-enabled platforms, tactical ISR technologies, and drone solutions supporting allied military and public safety organizations globally.