As governments and enterprise customers across North America continue searching for alternatives to Chinese-made drones, Canadian drone company Draganfly and Japanese drone maker ACSL are teaming up to bring a new NDAA-compliant drone option to Canada.

The two companies have announced an exclusive distribution agreement that will make ACSL’s SOTEN drone available across Canada beginning in June 2026 through Draganfly. But the partnership goes beyond simple distribution. The companies are also integrating their technologies to allow interoperability between their drone systems, cameras, and controllers.

The move comes at a time when governments and public safety agencies in both the US and Canada are increasingly prioritizing secure drone platforms amid growing scrutiny of Chinese drone manufacturers like DJI. In the United States, restrictions surrounding Chinese drone technology continue to tighten, with lawmakers and federal agencies pushing for more NDAA-compliant alternatives for government and enterprise operations.

That growing demand has created opportunities for companies like ACSL, which has already seen adoption of its SOTEN platform in the US market. The compact drone is designed for enterprise and public safety operations and features a secure-by-design architecture, swappable payloads, and portable deployment capabilities.

Under the new partnership, Canadian customers will gain access to the SOTEN platform through Draganfly’s established dealer and enterprise network. The drone will complement Draganfly’s existing lineup, which includes larger platforms like the Apex, Commander 3XL, and Heavy Lift drones designed for payloads ranging from 6.6 pounds to more than 100 pounds.

One of the more interesting aspects of the collaboration is the cross-platform integration both companies are building. Certain Draganfly drones, including the Apex and Commander 3XL, will become compatible with ACSL’s swappable camera payloads and the company’s TAITEN smart controller. That means operators could potentially use a single control ecosystem across multiple aircraft platforms depending on mission requirements.