ZenaTech’s ZenaDrone Begins Testing Phase for Interceptor P-1 Counter-UAS Drone Platform

Low-cost VTOL autonomous interceptor advances the company’s integrated Counter-UAS portfolio and defense system

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech” or the “Company”), a technology solutions provider specializing in artificial intelligence drones, Drone as a Service (“DaaS”), enterprise SaaS and quantum computing solutions, today announced that its ZenaDrone subsidiary has commenced the initial flight-testing phase of its Interceptor P-1.

The Interceptor P-1 is the Company’s low-cost, one-way autonomous counter-drone platform designed to physically intercept hostile unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”).

The beginning of flight testing represents an important step in the expansion of ZenaTech’s Counter-UAS drone portfolio and its planned integrated defense system.

A Lower-Cost Alternative to Missile-Based Defenses

The Interceptor P-1 is being developed as a vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”), one-way autonomous interceptor intended to provide an affordable alternative to traditional missile-based drone-defense systems.

The platform is designed to help address the growing challenges associated with asymmetric drone warfare, including situations in which low-cost hostile drones or coordinated drone swarms are countered using missiles costing millions of dollars.

“Our engineering team has reached an important milestone as we begin flight testing of the Interceptor P-1,” said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ZenaTech.

“This program is focused on validating the aircraft’s flight characteristics, autonomous capabilities, and system reliability before advancing to increasingly complex interception exercises,” Passley continued.

“We believe the demand for affordable counter-drone solutions continues to grow globally as military organizations and critical infrastructure operators seek cost-effective methods to defend against rapidly evolving drone threats.”

Initial Flight-Testing Program

The initial flight-test campaign will be conducted by the ZenaDrone engineering team at the Company’s testing range near its facility in Mesa, Arizona.

The first phase is expected to evaluate several of the Interceptor P-1’s principal systems and operational capabilities, including:

• Vertical takeoff and landing performance
• High-speed maneuverability
• Target-acquisition algorithms
• Target-tracking capabilities
• Guidance and flight controls
• Communications reliability
• Overall system stability

Following the initial testing phase, ZenaDrone expects to move into increasingly sophisticated exercises.

Subsequent phases are expected to include:

• Autonomous target pursuit
• Moving-target interception exercises
• Multi-drone operational scenarios
• Coordinated interceptor-drone missions
• Integration with ZenaTech’s Zena AI Counter-UAS command software

These exercises are intended to validate the Interceptor P-1’s ability to identify, pursue and physically intercept hostile aerial systems under progressively more complex operating conditions.

Target Price Below $5,000

ZenaTech first disclosed the Interceptor P-1 prototype in March 2026.

At that time, the Company announced a target selling price of less than $5,000 USD per interceptor, positioning the platform as a potentially significantly lower-cost alternative to traditional missile-based and laser-based interception systems.

The proposed pricing model is intended to address one of the central economic challenges in modern drone warfare: the use of expensive defensive weapons against hostile drones that may cost only a fraction of the price of the systems deployed to intercept them.

By combining autonomous guidance with a relatively low manufacturing cost, ZenaTech believes the Interceptor P-1 may provide defense organizations with a more scalable method of responding to individual hostile drones and coordinated drone-swarm attacks.

Expanding Defense Manufacturing in Ukraine

In April 2026, ZenaTech provided an additional update regarding its expanding defense-manufacturing footprint.

The Company announced the registration of Phoenix Aero LLC, a Ukrainian entity based in Lviv, Ukraine.

Phoenix Aero is being established to support the future manufacturing and testing of the Interceptor P-1 and other Counter-UAS systems as part of ZenaTech’s operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

ZenaTech is currently in the process of setting up the Phoenix Aero office.

The planned operation is expected to provide the Company with additional engineering, manufacturing and testing capabilities in a region where demand for cost-effective counter-drone technologies has become increasingly important.

Protecting Military and Critical Infrastructure Assets

ZenaTech believes that low-cost autonomous interceptors will play an increasingly important role in protecting military, government and civilian infrastructure from hostile drones.

Potential operational environments for the Interceptor P-1 include:

• Military installations
• Maritime environments
• Airports
• Energy facilities
• Government infrastructure
• Commercial and military ports
• Border-security operations
• Transportation infrastructure
• Other strategically important assets

The platform is being engineered to respond to both individual hostile drones and coordinated drone-swarm attacks.

ZenaTech believes this capability may become increasingly important as commercially available drone technologies become more sophisticated, accessible and capable of being modified for hostile purposes.

Part of ZenaTech’s Integrated Counter-UAS Ecosystem

The Interceptor P-1 is being designed to operate as part of ZenaTech’s broader Counter-UAS ecosystem rather than as a standalone aircraft.

The platform is expected to integrate with the Company’s AI-powered systems for:

• Airborne-threat detection
• Threat classification
• Target identification
• Threat prioritization
• Autonomous navigation
• Swarm coordination
• Interceptor deployment
• Mission monitoring

The complete Counter-UAS architecture is intended to allow a single operator to monitor, identify, prioritize and respond to multiple airborne threats simultaneously.

Through the use of coordinated autonomous interceptor drones, the system is being designed to reduce the number of personnel required to respond to complex aerial threats while improving response speed and operational scalability.

Integration With Zena AI Command Software

Future testing phases are expected to include integration with the Company’s Zena AI Counter-UAS command software.

The software is being developed to provide centralized monitoring and autonomous command capabilities across multiple interceptor drones.

ZenaTech’s proposed system architecture is intended to combine sensors, artificial intelligence, autonomous aircraft and coordinated swarm technologies into a unified defense platform.

Under this model, the command software could:

• Detect incoming aerial threats
• Analyze and classify individual targets
• Determine the priority level of each threat
• Assign interceptor drones to specific targets
• Coordinate simultaneous interception missions
• Provide mission-status information to the operator

The Company believes integrating the Interceptor P-1 with its AI command platform could enable a more efficient and coordinated response to complex drone attacks.

Testing Expected to Continue Throughout 2026

ZenaTech expects to continue expanding the Interceptor P-1 testing program throughout the remainder of 2026.

As development progresses, the Company plans to move from basic flight validation to more advanced interception exercises and integrated operational scenarios.

The planned development pathway includes:

• Initial aircraft flight validation
• Autonomous-system testing
• Target tracking and pursuit
• Moving-target interception
• Multi-drone scenarios
• Command-software integration
• Operational demonstrations
• Prospective customer evaluations

Future operational demonstrations are expected to provide potential military, government and infrastructure customers with opportunities to evaluate the platform’s capabilities.

The Company said additional updates will be provided as further development and testing milestones are achieved.

About the Interceptor P-1

The Interceptor P-1 is a low-cost, VTOL autonomous aircraft being developed by ZenaDrone for Counter-UAS defense applications.

It is designed as a one-way interceptor capable of physically engaging hostile unmanned aerial systems.

The platform is being engineered to combine:

• Autonomous flight
• High-speed maneuverability
• AI-assisted target acquisition
• Target-tracking algorithms
• Guidance and control systems
• Coordinated swarm operations
• Integration with centralized Counter-UAS software

With a target selling price below $5,000 USD, the Interceptor P-1 is intended to provide a scalable and economically sustainable alternative to traditional missile-based and laser-based drone-interception systems.

About ZenaTech

ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA) (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) is a technology company specializing in artificial intelligence drones, Drone as a Service, enterprise SaaS and quantum computing solutions for mission-critical business, government and defense applications.

Since 2017, the Company has used its software-development expertise and expanded its drone-design and manufacturing capabilities through ZenaDrone.

ZenaTech’s technologies are intended to improve inspection, monitoring, safety, security, compliance, surveying and operational-automation processes.

The Company serves enterprise-software customers using branded solutions across:

• Law enforcement
• Government
• Industrial operations
• Agriculture
• Defense
• Logistics

ZenaTech’s portfolio is designed to help customers improve operational speed and accuracy while reducing costs.

The Company operates through global offices in North America, Europe, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates. It is also expanding its Drone as a Service operations and global service-location network through acquisitions.

About ZenaDrone

ZenaDrone, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZenaTech, develops and manufactures autonomous drone solutions that can incorporate machine-learning software, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, quantum computing and other software and hardware technologies.

ZenaDrone was originally created to develop drone technologies for the hemp-farming industry. Its specialization has since expanded to include multifunctional drone solutions for:

• Surveying
• Monitoring
• Inspection
• Tracking
• Process automation
• Inventory management
• Security
• Logistics
• Agriculture
• Defense applications

The ZenaDrone 1000 is used for crop-management applications and critical field-cargo operations in the defense sector.

The IQ Nano is an indoor drone developed for inventory-management and security applications in warehouses and logistics facilities.

The IQ Square is an outdoor drone designed for commercial and government power-washing and inspection applications.

The IQ Quad is designed for land-surveying operations.

ZenaDrone operates three global manufacturing facilities located in Arizona, Dubai and Taiwan.

The subsidiary is also advancing Counter-UAS maritime interceptor drones and a broader integrated defense system.

Contacts

Company, Investors and Media

Linda Montgomery

ZenaTech

Phone: 312-241-1415

Investors

Michael Mason

CORE IR

Email: investors@zenatech.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release and related comments by the management of ZenaTech, Inc. include forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws and applicable Canadian securities laws.

These statements are subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Forward-looking information relates to future events or future performance and reflects management’s current expectations and projections regarding ZenaTech’s growth, operating results, performance, business prospects and opportunities.

In some cases, forward-looking information may be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “seek,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or similar expressions.

Forward-looking information in this announcement includes, but is not limited to, expectations concerning:

• The development and testing of the Interceptor P-1
• Future operational demonstrations and customer evaluations
• ZenaTech’s revenue, expenses, production, operations and cash flows
• Future production costs and manufacturing capacity
• The Company’s ability to deliver its drone products to the market
• The development of the ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Square and IQ Nano
• The development of products for intended markets
• Anticipated cash requirements and future financing
• Business growth and execution risks
• Future operations and operating costs
• Potential acquisitions
• International expansion
• Access to investment capital
• Market share
• Expansion timing
• Regulatory developments
• Patent and litigation risks

Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information presently available.

These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including stock-price volatility, changing market conditions, political and economic risks, regulatory requirements, operating risks in emerging markets, unfavorable publicity, changing customer perceptions, difficulties forecasting industry trends, competition, access to financing and the ability to hire and retain key personnel.

Additional risks and uncertainties are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form F-1, Form 20-F and other filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Readers are therefore advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

ZenaTech undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law.