Draganfly launches U.S. defense unit, names ex-Navy secretary chair

Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) has established a dedicated U.S. defense subsidiary, Draganfly Defense USA, Inc., and appointed Thomas B. Modly, the 33rd Under Secretary and former Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy, as its chairman, according to a company statement issued Oct. 12, 2026.

Modly, who has served on Draganfly's board of directors since 2024, will relinquish that board position to assume the chairman role at the new subsidiary. Cameron Chell, CEO and chairman of Draganfly Inc., will serve as a director of Draganfly Defense USA.

Brigadier General AJ Pasagian, USMC (Ret.), who was appointed president of Draganfly Defense USA in August 2026, will oversee U.S. defense operations, including strategic growth, government relationships, and execution across defense programs.

The subsidiary is structured to address security, regulatory, and compliance requirements associated with U.S. defense customers, including governance, cybersecurity, data protection, and export-control procedures. Its planned activities include unmanned aerial systems, counter-UAS technologies, artificial intelligence, secure communications, U.S. manufacturing, and defense program execution.

Draganfly cited several recent developments in its U.S. defense expansion, including the acquisition of Skip Dynamix, and a selection alongside F4 Defense International by the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory for a development contract focused on a modular, multi-layered integrated counter-UAS system.

"Establishing Draganfly Defense USA creates a dedicated structure to serve the unique requirements of the U.S. defense market," Modly said in the statement.

Draganfly is headquartered in Canada and has operated in unmanned systems for more than 27 years.

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