ZenaTech moves underwater mine-detection drone into Florida field testing

ZenaTech said its ZenaDrone subsidiary has begun U.S. field testing of the IQ Aqua autonomous underwater vehicle near Pensacola, Florida. The milestone moves the prototype closer to defense and commercial use cases, including mine detection, harbor security and underwater inspections.

Why it matters: - ZenaTech is pushing the IQ Aqua from prototype into real-world testing as it targets underwater defense applications and commercial maritime inspections. - The program is aimed at validating the drone’s stability, maneuverability, sensors and autonomous navigation before broader testing and a next version rollout. - The company is entering a market it says could be worth more than $16 billion over the next decade.

What happened: - ZenaTech said ZenaDrone moved the IQ Aqua autonomous underwater vehicle into an active U.S. field testing program. - Testing is taking place in the Pensacola, Florida area near the company’s Drone as a Service office. - The field work began after ZenaTech first unveiled the IQ Aqua prototype in March 2026. - The testing includes controlled aquatic environments and natural open water bodies.

The details: - The IQ Aqua is designed to extend ZenaDrone’s IQ family of autonomous air, land and water-surface drones into underwater operations. - Defense uses include undersea mine detection and countermeasure support, covert underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and port and harbor threat detection. - Commercial uses include autonomous inspection of energy pipelines, bridges and other maritime infrastructure. - ZenaTech says the platform could reduce reliance on costly and higher-risk diver or manned-vessel deployments. - ZenaDrone is also developing IQ Aqua Version 2 in parallel with the Florida tests. - The team is ordering components and preparing assembly at ZenaDrone’s manufacturing facility in the United Arab Emirates. - Completion of Version 2 is targeted in the coming weeks. - Version 2 is being engineered to be faster than the current prototype and to use a different propulsion system intended to improve speed and operational range. - ZenaTech plans to target U.S. defense customers, NATO partners, U.S. allied Gulf nations and commercial customers. - The company’s product portfolio also includes the ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Nano, IQ Square and IQ Quad. - ZenaDrone operates manufacturing facilities in Arizona, Dubai and Taiwan. - More information is available in the company profile referenced in the release.

Between the lines: - The Pensacola testing program suggests ZenaTech is trying to move quickly from concept to a defense-ready platform. - Underwater mine detection is a practical military problem because mines are relatively cheap to deploy and expensive and dangerous to clear with manned methods. - The company’s focus on both defense and commercial maritime work gives IQ Aqua a broader addressable market if the product matures as planned.

What's next: - ZenaTech said it will provide additional updates as development and testing milestones are reached. - IQ Aqua Version 2 is expected to be assembled in the coming weeks. - Broader testing and next version deployment are the next steps after the current field program. - ZenaTech aims to continue positioning IQ Aqua for U.S. defense, NATO and allied customer opportunities.