U.S. Drone Dominance is Creating an Incredible $355.55 Billion Market Opportunity
President Trump recently unveiled an $892.6 billion defense and national security budget proposal for 2026, which could boost spending on drones “in part because of lessons learned during Russia's war in Ukraine, where unmanned aircraft have proven to be an integral part of low-cost, yet highly effective fighting,” as noted by Reuters.
That in addition to President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s latest policy directive, should continue to have a positive impact on drone stocks, such as ZenaTech (NASDAQ: ZENA), AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), Red Cat Holdings (NASDAQ: RCAT), Ondas Holdings (NASDAQ: ONDS), and Unusual Machines Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: UMAC).
Remember, President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” unlocks federal funding for domestic production, makes US skies safer by eliminating Chinese-made drones and components, cuts outdated certification and procurement barriers, and fast-tracks deployment directly to frontline units. It also provides $33 billion in direct spending for advanced drones, autonomous systems, and broader US defense modernization.
In addition, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s latest policy directive, Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance, just made it easier for American drone companies—especially those building Group 1 and 2 affordable drone systems—to sell directly to the military, scale production, and innovate without delays from traditional defense procurement bottlenecks including Blue UAS certification timelines.
In fact, thanks to the latest DoD policy directives, companies, such as ZenaTech just confirmed that its entire portfolio of ZenaDrone drones qualify as Group 1–2 expendable assets and are now enabled for direct purchases even for prototypes, by field commanders for both training and real-world missions.
Fueling further momentum, ZenaTech’s ZenaDrone Subsidiary Just Applied for Green UAS Certification for IQ Square Drone to Sell to US Defense and Government
ZenaTech’s subsidiary ZenaDrone just submitted the IQ Square drone for Green UAS (Uncrewed Aircraft System) certification, allowing it to be added to the pre-approved procurement list for US Department of Defense (DoD) and government buyers.
Drones like the IQ Square offer critical advantages in military and government applications, including real-time surveillance, infrastructure monitoring, and remote mission planning in hazardous environments.
In addition, advanced imaging tools such as LiDAR and thermal sensors enable early detection of structural vulnerabilities and security threats, while rapid mapping and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) functions support logistics and operational command.
As noted by Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO:
“ZenaDrone’s IQ Square Green UAS submission marks a critical milestone in our commitment to national security and defense readiness. This is not just about compliance—it’s about positioning our company to meet the highest standards for US government and DoD use. Green UAS is our on-ramp to achieving Blue UAS certification which will open more doors to broader federal adoption and deployment in mission-critical operations.”
Recent policy directives from the White House, the Secretary of Defense, and Congress are creating real momentum—prioritizing US-made and secure NDAA-compliant systems like ours, while unlocking funding and accelerating procurement. The message is clear: the future of drones is American, and we are ready.”
It’s also creating a $355.55 billion Drone as a Service (DaaS) market opportunity.
By 2032, the DaaS market could be worth about $355.55 billion, as noted by Research and Markets. Within the industry, we can look at unique companies, like ZenaTech, for example.
Unlike its peers, ZENA offers a unique DaaS AI-powered drone solution, where clients don’t need to purchase or even manage their own drone hardware and software.
In addition, ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service (DaaS) business model offers both business and government customers reduced costs and convenience to utilize drones to streamline legacy processes and manual tasks such as inspections, surveying, maintenance, precision agriculture and inventory management.
There also no need to purchase drone hardware and software, find a drone pilot, manage maintenance and operation, or acquire regulatory approvals.
Other related developments from around the markets include:
AeroVironment announced today that its Wildcat uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) has achieved a series of development milestones in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE). Wildcat has successfully completed VTOL-to-forward-flight transitions, validated its core flight and propulsion systems, and begun integrating critical mission payloads—demonstrating rapid progress toward an operationally relevant capability. Wildcat is a Group 3, tail-sitting vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for launch and recovery from ship decks in denied and distributed maritime environments. Its compact footprint, autonomous launch and recovery, and robust flight performance across high sea states make it a flexible and scalable solution for contested littoral operations.
Red Cat Holdings, a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations, today issued a statement of support for a series of executive orders from the White House that advance U.S. leadership in uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and reinforce the resilience of America’s domestic industrial base. The executive actions are expected to remove regulatory barriers and modernize federal approval processes to prioritize U.S.-manufactured drones. Additional provisions include expanded detection and mitigation authority, and streamlined regulations to accelerate the deployment of UAS across federal and commercial sectors. “These executive orders send a clear signal that the U.S. is serious about enabling a secure domestic drone industry that supports mission-critical outcomes for the U.S. and its allies,” said Brendan Stewart, VP of Regulatory Affairs at Red Cat. “This level of policy alignment removes barriers to fielding trusted, American-made systems at scale. Red Cat stands ready to meet this moment with its proven, electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing systems that utilize advanced AI and computer vision solutions from partners including Palantir, Palladyne AI, Athena AI and Primordial Labs.”
Ondas Holdings, a leading provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions, announced a new partnership agreement with Klear, Inc., a financial technology company offering non-dilutive working capital and treasury management solutions purpose-built for businesses serving critical supply chains. Under the terms of the agreement, Klear will serve as Ondas' preferred working capital finance partner across its expanding platform of subsidiaries, affiliates, and acquired companies. The partnership aims to accelerate liquidity access for innovation-focused companies operating within the Ondas ecosystem and to support Ondas' strategic growth through acquisitions of capital-constrained but high-potential defense and security related drone and AI technology platforms.
Unusual Machines Inc. a leader in drone technology and component manufacturing, announced its inclusion in the Russell Microcap® Index, effective today. The addition reflects the company's accelerating growth and aligns with its ongoing strategy to scale U.S. operations and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities. "Being added to the Russell Microcap Index marks an important milestone in our growth journey," said CEO Allan Evans. "It reflects increasing visibility in the market and underscores the strategic steps we're taking to advance a strong, U.S.-based foundation for long-term success." In parallel, Unusual Machines is expanding its U.S.-based workforce to support this next phase of growth, with hiring underway across engineering, operations, and manufacturing roles.
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