Draganfly Teams With AI Firm Palladyne To Bring Autonomous Drone Swarms To Defense And Commercial Markets

Drone manufacturer Draganfly and AI software company Palladyne AI announced plans today to integrate autonomous swarm technology into Draganfly’s commercial and defense platforms, potentially bringing military-grade coordination capabilities to a broader market. The partnership aims to enable single operators to control multiple drones simultaneously through edge-based artificial intelligence.

The collaboration pairs Draganfly’s 25-year track record in drone manufacturing with Palladyne’s recently developed autonomous software platform. By embedding Palladyne Pilot AI into Draganfly’s systems, the companies intend to add capabilities like autonomous swarm operations, real-time intelligence gathering, and reduced operator workload across government, defense, and commercial applications.

Single-Operator Swarm Control Through Edge Computing

Palladyne Pilot represents a shift from traditional one-pilot-per-drone operations toward coordinated multi-drone missions managed by a single operator. The platform-agnostic software runs on the edge—processing data directly on the drones rather than relying on cloud connectivity—enabling autonomous decision-making even when communications are disrupted or unavailable.

The system uses sensor fusion from multiple inputs to enable drones to independently and collaboratively track targets while interfacing with autopilots in real time. This approach enhances detection, tracking, classification, and identification capabilities while enabling what the companies call “self-organizing collaboration” among drone teams.

“Draganfly has earned its reputation as one of the most trusted names in UAV innovation,” said Ben Wolff, President and CEO of Palladyne AI. “We are honored to collaborate with them to deliver advanced aerial intelligence solutions that meet the operational needs of government, defense, and commercial users in challenging environments.”

From Industrial Robots To Military Drones

Palladyne AI underwent a dramatic transformation from hardware-focused robotics manufacturer Sarcos to pure-play AI software developer. The company, which changed its name in March 2024, now focuses exclusively on artificial intelligence and machine learning software for robotic platforms. Its technology initially targeted industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots) but has expanded to unmanned aerial vehicles, ground vehicles, and remotely operated vehicles.

The company’s Palladyne Pilot software achieved key developmental milestones throughout 2024 and early 2025, including successful autonomous tracking flights and multi-drone collaborative operations. In December 2024, Palladyne demonstrated a third-party small drone autonomously identifying, prioritizing, and tracking ground targets. By February 2025, multiple drones equipped with the software were working together to share sensor information and coordinate target tracking.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has funded Palladyne’s development work, including a recent contract to migrate the software to next-generation U.S.-made AI computing chipsets.

Draganfly’s Expanding Defense Portfolio

Draganfly’s partnership with Palladyne extends the Canadian manufacturer’s recent push into advanced military applications. In September 2025, the U.S. Army selected Draganfly to supply Flex FPV drone systems and establish forward-deployed manufacturing capabilities at overseas military facilities—a strategic shift toward bringing drone production closer to operational theaters.

The company has steadily expanded from its public safety and agricultural roots into defense contracting. Recent projects include hybrid-powered surveillance drones for Arizona border security with seven-hour flight endurance, medical delivery testing with Mass General Brigham in Boston, and humanitarian supply missions in Ukraine.

“Palladyne AI is enabling drone platforms to incorporate autonomy features that were even recently limited to large and costly systems,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “By having Palladyne Pilot as an embedded option into our platforms, we continue to expand our modular framework and increase our adaptable, mission-critical autonomy, and swarm capabilities that reduce operator workload and extend the effectiveness of our systems across complex use cases.”

International Deployment Requires Government Approvals

The companies noted that integration of Palladyne Pilot with Draganfly systems outside the United States will require obtaining necessary government approvals. Neither company disclosed specific timelines for commercial availability, pricing structures, or which Draganfly platforms would receive the software first.

Palladyne AI has previously indicated expectations to commercialize the Palladyne Pilot platform by the end of the first quarter of 2025, though that deadline has passed. The company trades on NASDAQ under ticker PDYN with a market capitalization around $270-370 million. Draganfly trades under DPRO with recent defense contracts driving stock gains of more than 69% year-to-date.

DroneXL’s Take

The Palladyne-Draganfly partnership signals how quickly autonomous swarm technology is moving from theoretical concept to commercial product. Just three years ago, the Pentagon was exploring offensive drone swarms as emerging capability. Now multiple companies, from Ukrainian startup Swarmer to Swiss-American firm Auterion, are deploying combat-proven coordination software.

What’s noteworthy here is the democratization angle. Palladyne’s platform-agnostic approach means the software could theoretically work across different manufacturers’ hardware, potentially avoiding vendor lock-in. For Draganfly, adding AI coordination to their modular platforms makes strategic sense as they court defense customers who increasingly expect autonomous capabilities as standard features rather than premium upgrades.

The real test will be execution. Palladyne’s commercialization timeline has already slipped, and integrating complex AI software with existing drone autopilots across various platforms presents substantial technical challenges. International regulatory approvals for autonomous swarm operations remain uncertain in many jurisdictions. And the defense market is notoriously slow-moving despite urgent operational needs demonstrated in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Still, the trajectory is clear: single operators controlling multiple autonomous drones represents the future of both military and commercial operations. Whether for border surveillance, agricultural monitoring, infrastructure inspection, or combat missions, the math favors force multiplication through software over simply adding more pilots. Companies that nail the execution stand to capture significant market share.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.