Volatus and Kraus Hamdani Aerospace Partner to Establish Sovereign Canadian Persistent Intelligence Capability
Press Release + Noah Note
Partnership to advance Canadian manufacturing and sovereign aerospace capability introducing combat-proven autonomous intelligence and resilient communications technologies, beginning with wildfire response and extending to emergency management, Arctic operations and defence
VAUGHAN, Ontario, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Volatus Aerospace Inc. (TSX: FLT) (OTCQX: TAKOF) (Frankfurt: ABB.F) (“Volatus” or the “Company”), a Canadian-controlled global aerospace and defence company, today announced a Strategic Partnership with Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, Inc. (“KHA”), developer of the K1000ULE ultra-long-endurance autonomous aircraft and the ATNE++ resilient airborne communications architecture.
The agreement establishes Volatus as Canadian Strategic Partner and creates the framework for introducing the K1000ULE and Aerial Tier Network Extension ++ (ATNE++) into Canada while advancing systems integration, operational deployment, training, lifecycle support and the progressive establishment of Canadian manufacturing at Volatus’ aerospace facility in Mirabel, Québec. Together, the companies intend to strengthen Canada’s ability to detect, understand and respond to rapidly evolving wildfire incidents while creating a sovereign capability supporting emergency management, public safety, critical infrastructure, Arctic operations and defence applications.
“Wildfires are ultimately an information challenge before they become a suppression challenge,” said Glen Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Volatus. “The earlier incident commanders understand what’s happening, how conditions are changing and where responders are positioned, the more options they have to protect communities and keep firefighters safe. Persistent airborne intelligence and resilient communications fundamentally improve decision-making, enabling governments to respond earlier, coordinate more effectively and strengthen the exceptional wildfire response capability Canada already possesses.”
The fully electric platform combines ultra-long endurance with an open systems architecture capable of supporting intelligence, surveillance and communications payloads while operating with a minimal logistical footprint. Having accumulated more than 6,000 operational flight hours in support of U.S. military and allied missions, the aircraft has demonstrated its reliability in demanding real-world environments and is ready to support the next generation of Canadian wildfire intelligence operations.
“Unlike conventional unmanned aircraft designed for relatively short missions, the K1000ULE was purpose-built for continuous operations over large and remote environments to deliver persistent intelligence and resilient communications in some of the world’s most demanding operational environments”, said Fatema Hamdani, Chief Executive Officer of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace. “Canada has an opportunity to apply these proven capabilities to wildfire management while establishing a sovereign aerospace capability that can also support emergency management, public safety, defence and other critical national missions. Volatus brings the operational expertise, industrial capability and long-term vision needed to make that possible.”
ATNE++ is an airborne communications mesh-enabled, multi-waveform self-healing network. It provides voice and data bridging and extension across legacy and modern radio networks and tactical data links, engineered to maintain communications in contested and degraded environments Together, the K1000ULE and ATNE++ provide capabilities extending well beyond traditional aerial surveillance. The system delivers continuous electro-optical and infrared intelligence, live fire perimeter mapping, thermal hotspot detection, fire behaviour analysis, wind and terrain assessment, communications relay, firefighter tracking, unified command support and post-incident damage assessment, enabling emergency managers to maintain a continuously updated operational picture throughout the lifecycle of an incident. These capabilities support faster decision-making, improved firefighter safety and more effective coordination of ground and aerial resources.
The Strategic Partnership also establishes a roadmap for Canadian systems integration, operator and maintainer training, lifecycle support, maintenance capability and licensed domestic manufacturing. Subject to technical, regulatory and commercial milestones, aircraft supporting sustained Canadian programs are intended to be progressively manufactured at Volatus’ Mirabel facility, strengthening Canada’s sovereign aerospace industrial base while expanding domestic supply chain participation.
Volatus has already begun engaging federal and provincial governments, regulators, emergency management organizations and public safety agencies to evaluate operational requirements, demonstration opportunities and future deployment pathways. Any Canadian deployment remains subject to applicable regulatory approvals and the successful completion of technical and operational evaluations.
This announcement represents the second major milestone in Volatus’ broader initiative to establish a sovereign Canadian autonomous intelligence and rapid response capability. Additional elements of this integrated national architecture, spanning emergency management, Arctic domain awareness and defence, are expected to be announced as the program advances.
About Volatus Aerospace Inc.
Volatus Aerospace is a Canadian-controlled global aerospace and defence company delivering integrated uncrewed systems, aerial intelligence and mission-critical operational services. The Company provides unmanned aerial systems, aerial intelligence services, autonomy software and advanced training solutions supporting civil infrastructure, public safety and defence markets. Through its integrated platform combining manufacturing, operations, training and technology development, Volatus enables the adoption and scaling of autonomous systems while supporting the growth of sovereign Canadian aerospace capability.
About KHA
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace (KHA) is an AI-powered aerospace company delivering resilient airborne intelligence, communications, and autonomous mission capabilities for defense and commercial customers worldwide. Its technologies provide persistent airborne infrastructure across sea, land, air, and space, when communications fail, infrastructure is degraded, and mission success depends on continuous intelligence and connectivity.
KHA’s flagship K1000ULE is the world’s longest-endurance fully electric Group 2 unmanned aircraft system, with a proven non-stop flight of more than 75 hours while carrying mission-critical payloads. Combined with its proprietary Aerial Tier Network Extension (ATNE++) and AI-enabled Multi-Domain Autonomous Collaborative Teaming (MD-ACT) technologies, KHA delivers resilient communications, autonomous coordination, and real-time intelligence in contested and distributed environments.
Trusted by customers including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, MARSOC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Petroleum Development Oman (Shell Oil & Gas), KHA is advancing the future of autonomous aerospace through proven innovation, operational excellence, and strategic global partnerships.
Noah Note: Now unlike the other release, this one is a bit more interesting and substantial. KHA is a legitimate company, and the K1000ULE is a legit Blue-List platform with orders behind it, most recently in April when.they received a $270M single-source IDIQ rapid-deployment contract from U.S. Air Forces Central.
They didn't give any sort of numbers so I will. The K1000ULE is 3m long with a 5m wingspan. 19.3kg MTOW, 2.5kg payload capacity. It cruises at 30–40 knots, has a service ceiling of 20,000ft, endurance up to 24 hours with typical payloads, and range up to about 1,610 km. It's is a platform primarily designed for long-endurance, persistent surveillance.
So this is a legitimate, contracted platform in-service down south, a sharp contrast and coming just in time to start some DDIM hype. I like how they really are pushing Wildfires at Volatus right now. They seem to get the memo to boost now. Would be a very interesting platform in that capacity. It's propulsion utilizes lithium-ion batteries augmented by wing-mounted solar, making it one of the few solar-assisted Group 2 UAS in actual service militarilly.
So good on Volatus here, wxcellent choice of partner. With all the UAS stuff going on, I expect we'll see a lot more people try to run in and get some licenses settled before things close fully. There is some who believe that the DDIM, initially will rely heabily on foreign designs to augment. I don't believe that myself, but it's enough that I expect we'll see a lot more.