Drones-as-a-Service Explodes into a Global Multi-Billion-Dollar Defense and Commercial Powerhouse

Surging global demand for business, governmental and military adoptions are accelerating a market poised for massive long-term expansion

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /CNW/ -- Market News Updates News Commentary Counter- Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS) is quickly becoming a go-to solution for both defense agencies and commercial operators that want cutting-edge drone capabilities without the hassle of owning and managing fleets. Instead of dealing with procurement delays, maintenance, and staffing, organizations can tap into on-demand drone services for surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics, and real-time data collection. For defense, that kind of flexibility is a game changer—it allows missions to scale fast and adapt in real time, all while keeping up with rapidly evolving technology. As global tensions continue to drive defense spending higher, DaaS is carving out a clear role in the future of military operations. A rising wave of ambitious companies are rapidly scaling their global operations and staking out leadership positions in the fast-growing DaaS and UAS sectors including:  ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZENA), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAI), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCAT), AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), VisionWave Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWAV).

The numbers behind it are hard to ignore. The global DaaS market is currently estimated in the $6–8 billion range, but it's expected to grow aggressively—potentially reaching anywhere from $27 billion to well over $150 billion by 2030, depending on the forecast. Some longer-term projections are even more ambitious, pointing to a $500+ billion opportunity by the mid-2030s as adoption spreads across industries. In the U.S., growth is being fueled not just by defense, but by widespread commercial use as well. Faster tech development, improved AI capabilities, and expanding flight permissions are all helping push the market forward at a rapid pace.

On the business side, U.S. companies are leaning into DaaS because it simply makes operations easier and more efficient. Whether it's construction firms mapping job sites, energy companies inspecting infrastructure, or logistics players speeding up deliveries, drones are saving time and cutting costs in a big way. And since it's all service-based, companies can scale usage up or down without a major capital investment. Looking ahead, the outlook is strong—AI-powered insights, autonomous flight, and better integration into everyday operations are only going to expand what drones can do. DaaS isn't just a trend at this point—it's shaping up to be a major, long-term piece of both U.S. business and defense operations.

ZenaTech's (NASDAQ:ZENA) To Enter Australian Market Through Drone as a Service Acquisition of an Established Land Surveying and Spatial Services Company Serving Government and Infrastructure Clients - 22nd acquisition expands AI autonomy and Drone as a Service platform into Asia-Pacific infrastructure markets -  ZenaTech, Inc. ($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 it recently signed a binding agreement, subject to regulatory approvals, to acquire a Brisbane-headquartered Australian land surveying and spatial services firm with offices in Gladstone and on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This will mark the Company's 22nd DaaS acquisition and its first major expansion into Australia, establishing a strategic foothold in the country with a three-office footprint in Queensland, and a launchpad into the Asia-Pacific region. The acquisition, once complete, will also strengthen the Company's customer base in infrastructure, public works, and natural resources sectors.

"Austrialia represents a strategically important market itself with strong long-term demand across infrastructure, public works, and resource-driven industries including mining, energy, and related sectors. Strategically, it also expands ZenaTech's access into the Asia-Pacific corridor, which provides the potential to significantly expand our global footprint," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., CEO of ZenaTech. "This transaction supports our long-term vision of building a scalable AI autonomy platform through DaaS,  digitizing and improving legacy services with our drones, in a technology-led business through disciplined execution, while advancing long-term shareholder value."

The 35-year-established geospatial and surveying services provider has a long-standing track record of delivering precision surveying and spatial data solutions to government, public works, infrastructure, and commercial clients across large-scale civil and construction projects. Its service offering spans traditional surveying, advanced geospatial mapping, and LiDAR-based data capture, supporting high-accuracy planning and execution for complex infrastructure environments.

This acquisition integrates seamlessly into ZenaTech's Drone as a Service platform, supported by the acquisition's existing use of drone-enabled workflows, established geospatial capabilities, existing client base, and data-driven operations. ZenaTech plans to leverage this foundation to accelerate the deployment of standardized drone-based surveying and infrastructure solutions across key customer segments, enhancing scalability and operational efficiency. The transaction further strengthens ZenaTech's acquisition-led strategy building a globally integrated DaaS network consisting of recurring, technology-enabled services.

ZenaTech's Drone as a Service platform is designed to provide business and government clients with convienent subscription and usage-based access to fast and superior AI drone-base, turnkey services for a host of surveying, inspection, maintenance, power washing, inventory management, and precision agriculture services. There is no need for  capital costs or the operational burdens of ownership including regulatory compliance or finding drone pilots. By acquiring established, profitable service companies using low-tech and manual processes poised for AI drone innovation, ZenaTech is building a global, multi-service DaaS network of locations in communities anchored by longstanding, existing customers and revenue, for next-gen drone integration designed for speed, precision, data, and safety benefits. The company has a total of 25 international DaaS locations and is continuing to expand its network and portfolio of services.  Continued…  Read this full release and additional news for ZENA by visiting:  https://www.zenatech.com/newsroom/

In other Business/Military/UAV/Drone industry news of note:

Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAI), a developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled defense, security, and situational awareness solutions, recently announced the launch of a new Government contract capture team led by former Anduril Senior Business Development Director and Retired U.S. Army Officer, Mr. Brian Mack, who was named as the Company's new Chief Growth Officer ("CGO"). Mr. Mack takes on the CGO role following his tenure on Safe Pro's Strategic Advisory Board.

As Chief Growth Officer, Mr. Mack will build and lead Safe Pro's U.S. government contract capture team with a focus on accelerating growth across Army and joint mission areas. As part of this effort, the Company has appointed recently retired United States Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM) Acquisition Executive, Mr. Benjamin Chitty, as Vice President of Government Growth. The Company believes these appointments will support its efforts to capture U.S. government revenue and contract awards over time.

Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RCAT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, recently disclosed new details on a previously announced recent Asia-Pacific contract award for its Black Widow systems. The award was the result of a competitive acquisition for 173 sUAS systems led by the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), an external bureau of Japan's Ministry of Defense responsible for research and development, procurement, and project management of defense equipment. The end-user is the Japanese Army (JGSDF).

The 173 systems are being delivered under Japan Fiscal Year 2026 (JFY26) funding. Red Cat is fulfilling the order in close coordination with Japanese partners HAMA K.K. and ITOCHU Aviation Co., Ltd., and with U.S. partner ITOCHU Aviation, Inc. In addition to a previous order from the Australian Army, this is the second Asia-Pacific Ally to order Black Widow systems for military use.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) announced a historic milestone for directed energy and homeland defense following the successful execution of a first-of-its-kind counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) laser test in coordination with the U.S. Department of War and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

During an early March test event at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), led by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), AV's LOCUST® high-energy laser system demonstrated its ability to safely and effectively defend U.S. national airspace against emerging drone threats, directly supporting a subsequent agreement between the DOW and FAA that validates the system for domestic use.

"This is a defining moment for directed energy and for the future of homeland defense," said John Garrity, Vice President for Directed Energy Systems at AV. "LOCUST has now proven its ability to operate safely and effectively in the most complex airspace environment in the world. This achievement accelerates the transition of directed energy from experimentation to operational deployment—delivering a scalable, cost-effective solution to counter the rapidly growing drone threat."

VisionWave Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWAV), a defense and advanced sensing technology company developing AI-driven, RF-based sensing, autonomy, and computational acceleration technologies for defense, homeland security, and commercial infrastructure applications, announced its strategic roadmap to operationalize xCalibre™'s patent-protected Neuro-Logic AI assets across Solar Drone's long-endurance autonomous flight platforms.

This announcement follows two milestone achievements: the April 10, 2026 acquisition of 100% of the xCalibre™ AI video intelligence IP portfolio — independently valued at approximately $60 million by BDO Consulting Group — and the April 28, 2026 filing of U.S. provisional patent application No. 64/048,141 ("Systems and Methods for Converting Camera Streams into Structured Sensor Intelligence for Detection, Verification, and Response"). The Company now turns to further technical integration and proof of concept development. The valuation is not an appraisal of fair market value for accounting purposes and is not a guarantee of future economic benefit; the Company will assess accounting treatment in accordance with GAAP upon finalization of purchase accounting.

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