ZenaTech’s ZenaDrone Subsidiary Initiates Green UAS Application for ZenaDrone 1000 to Strengthen U.S. Defense and Government Procurement Prospects
Rhea-AI Summary
ZenaTech (Nasdaq: ZENA) said its ZenaDrone subsidiary initiated the Green UAS certification application for the ZenaDrone 1000 on Feb 19, 2026.
The ZD1000 is a heavy-lift AI VTOL platform positioned for U.S. Department of War and federal procurement pending certification, emphasizing NDAA alignment, cybersecurity, and supply chain integrity.
Positive
- Initiated Green UAS certification application for ZD1000
- Positions ZD1000 for potential DoW and federal procurement
- Design emphasizes NDAA-aligned cybersecurity and supply chain integrity
Negative
- Certification is pending; approval is not guaranteed
- Blue UAS procurement access requires completing Green UAS first
News Market Reaction – ZENA
On the day this news was published, ZENA declined 0.31%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Momentum scanner shows ARBE up 1.83% and ALAR down 4.85%, with mixed moves and no same-day news, supporting a stock-specific read on this Green UAS certification step.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17 | AI drone expansion | Positive | -1.8% | Advancing autonomous AI power-wash drone platform and Dubai DaaS presence. |
| Feb 12 | New DaaS location | Positive | +0.4% | Opened 23rd DaaS site in Orlando focused on government and defense work. |
| Feb 10 | Builder services push | Positive | -5.5% | Integrated acquired surveying firm to accelerate homebuilder survey turnaround times. |
| Feb 05 | Golf survey rollout | Positive | -10.9% | Launched specialized drone surveys for golf courses with Florida-led expansion plans. |
| Feb 03 | Acquisition offer | Positive | +0.0% | Signed offer to buy Virginia surveying firm to deepen federal DaaS access. |
Recent drone and DaaS expansion headlines have mostly been followed by flat-to-negative next-day moves despite generally positive strategic content.
Over recent months, ZenaTech has focused on scaling Drone as a Service and government-facing opportunities. Announcements included golf course survey rollouts, builder-focused survey integrations, new DaaS locations such as Orlando, and acquisitions to deepen access to federal contracts. Despite these growth-oriented updates, four of the last five news events saw negative or flat 24h price reactions. Today’s Green UAS application continues the defense and government positioning theme within this broader expansion strategy.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An effective-date-pending F-3 shelf filed on 2026-02-10 permits offerings of up to US$250,000,000 in various securities over time, with proceeds to the company and no usage recorded yet.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement advances ZenaDrone 1000 along the Green UAS pathway, a prerequisite for Blue UAS and a key step toward U.S. defense and federal procurement channels. It complements recent 6-K disclosures of NDAA-compliant manufacturing, rapid DaaS expansion, and strong revenue growth. Investors may watch for progress toward full certification, uptake in defense contracts, and any usage of the US$250,000,000 F-3 shelf as indicators of how this strategy translates into future results.
Key Terms
green uas regulatory
uncrewed aircraft system technical
vtol technical
isr technical
ndaA-aligned regulatory
cybersecurity technical
supply chain integrity technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 19, 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, today announces that its ZenaDrone subsidiary has formally initiated the Green UAS (Uncrewed Aircraft System) certification application process for its ZenaDrone 1000 (ZD1000). The ZenaDrone Flagship product is a heavy-lift multifunction AI drone platform intended for potential inclusion on approved procurement pathways for the U.S. Department of War (DoW) and government buyers upon successful certification.
“Initiating the Green UAS certification process for the ZenaDrone 1000 is a crucial step in expanding our U.S. defense and government engagement,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. “Secure, NDAA-aligned drone systems are increasingly becoming a baseline requirement for federal procurement. By advancing ZD1000 through the Green UAS pathway, our heavy-lift platform is on the path to deliver critical ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and cargo capabilities for defense missions. Our initiation of this application process also reinforces our commitment to cybersecurity, supply chain integrity, and American-aligned innovation.”
Green UAS certification is a compliance and cybersecurity framework developed by AUVSI, the leading trade association for the uncrewed systems industry, in collaboration with the U.S. DoW. It ensures that drones are free of components from foreign adversaries and meet rigorous standards for cybersecurity, data protection, and supply chain integrity. The Green UAS certification process is expected to be streamlined for faster approvals under recent Executive Orders, which will pave the way for better alignment with Blue UAS certification, for which it is also a required precursor. Blue UAS builds on Green UAS by providing higher assurance for mission-critical defense operations. It enables streamlined DoW procurement, faster contract approvals, and deployment in sensitive or classified operational environments, ensuring certified platforms are fully trusted for defense and federal applications.
The ZenaDrone 1000 is engineered as an advanced AI-powered VTOL heavy-lift platform optimized for defense use, offering ISR capabilities including real-time surveillance, tactical reconnaissance, and secure data collection, alongside cargo transport and mission-critical payload delivery. Its modular design allows rapid configuration for multi-mission operations in high-risk environments, from infrastructure monitoring to operational logistics support.
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
312-241-1415
investors@zenatech.com
Investors:
Michael Mason
CORE IR
investors@zenatech.com
Safe Harbor
This press release and related comments by management of ZenaTech, Inc. include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws and applicable Canadian securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This forward-looking information relates to future events or future performance of ZenaTech and reflects management’s expectations and projections regarding ZenaTech’s growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “aim”, “seek”, “is/are likely to”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this document includes, but is not limited to ZenaTech’s expectations regarding its revenue, expenses, production, operations, costs, cash flows, and future growth; expectations with respect to future production costs and capacity; ZenaTech's ability to deliver products to the market as currently contemplated, including its drone products including ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Square and IQ Nano; ZenaTech's ability to develop products for markets as currently contemplated; ZenaTech’s anticipated cash needs and it’s needs for additional financing; ZenaTech’s intention to grow the business and its operations and execution risk; expectations with respect to future operations and costs; the volatility of stock prices and market conditions in the industries in which ZenaTech operates; political, economic, environmental, tax, security, and other risks associated with operating in emerging markets; regulatory risks; unfavorable publicity or consumer perception; difficulty in forecasting industry trends; the ability to hire key personnel; the competitive conditions of the industry and the competitive and business strategies of ZenaTech; ZenaTech’s expected business objectives for the next twelve months; ZenaTech’s ability to obtain additional funds through the sale of equity or debt commitments; investment capital and market share; the ability to complete any contemplated acquisitions; changes in the target markets; market uncertainty; ability to access additional capital, including through the listing of its securities in various jurisdictions; management of growth (plans and timing for expansion); patent infringement; litigation; applicable laws, regulations, and any amendments affecting the business of ZenaTech and other related risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors“ in the Company’s Form F-1, Form 20-F and other filings filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on EDGAR through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements’ best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
FAQ
What did ZenaTech announce on February 19, 2026 about ZD1000 (ZENA)?
How does Green UAS certification affect ZenaTech's chances for DoW contracts (ZENA)?
What capabilities does the ZenaDrone 1000 offer that support defense use (ZENA)?
Does Green UAS certification guarantee Blue UAS approval for ZD1000 (ZENA)?
What timeline or speed does ZenaTech expect for Green UAS processing (ZENA)?
How does ZenaTech describe security and supply chain measures for ZD1000 (ZENA)?
