JACKSONVILLE, FL, May 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Drone Aviation Holding Corp. (OTCQB: DRNE) (“Drone Aviation” or the “Company”), a manufacturer of tethered drones and lighter-than-air aerostats, today announced that it is unveiling the new WATT 300 heavy-lift tethered multirotor drone and an upgraded military WASP aerostat platform at the 2017 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC). SOFIC is being held next week from May 15^th through May 18^th at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL.

New Drone Aviation WATT 300 Tethered Drone

SOFIC is the defense industry’s premier event for members of the Special Operations Forces (SOF), focusing on advancing defense industry technology solutions and building the global SOF alliance, attracting over 9,000 government and industry attendees. Company team members will be hosting informational meetings at booth (#1350) and will be displaying the Company’s full range of tethered aerial products including the upgraded WASP tactical aerostat platform and the WATT 200 electric tethered drone. Also on display will be the first unveiling of the new WATT 300 heavy-lift multirotor drone which delivers enhanced multi-mission capabilities thanks to its ability to support the same advanced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor payloads utilized by the WASP aerostat platform. Drone Aviation’s WASP and WATT are intended to provide semi-persistent, mobile intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ("ISR") for various military, law enforcement and commercial security applications.

“This year marks our third anniversary at SOFIC, the premier annual gathering of the SOF community. Building upon our recent military contract awards and the growing interest in tethered solutions, we are presenting this year’s attendees with a full range of products highlighted by our new WATT 300 heavy-lift drone,” said Bruce Hardy, Vice President of Sales of Drone Aviation. “We look forward to meeting with new and existing customers and to sharing with the SOF community the many unique and compelling operational capabilities of our tethered products.”

The WASP (Winch Aerostat Small Platform) is a highly tactical and mobile aerostat system which can be operated by as few as two soldiers and can provide day/night video and wireless communication range extension from either a fixed, stationary position or while being towed. Over the past four years, U.S. Army-owned WASP systems have successfully completed thousands of hours of soldier training operations, various DoD exercises, and customer operations. WASP is currently being utilized by the DoD as a mobile, tactical aerial solution that can support various ISR mission profiles involving ground-based assets as well as aerial assets through communication retransmission. The patented WATT Electric Tethered Aerial Platform is the Company’s turn-key electric tethered drone designed to provide secure and reliable aerial communications and monitoring for extended durations. WATT utilizes a high strength, Kevlar®-armored tether connected to the ground providing uninterruptible power, unjammable command and control, and secure collection and distribution of sensor data, to deliver highly effective coverage from altitudes up to 400 feet for up to 8 hours or more. Supporting advanced mil-spec communications packages and sensors, including highly stabilized zoom EO/IR systems, WATT provides excellent persistent ISR and aerial monitoring capabilities over a wide area.

About Drone Aviation Holding Corp.

Drone Aviation Holding Corp. (OTCQB: DRNE) develops and manufactures cost-effective, compact and rapidly deployable aerial platforms, including lighter-than-air aerostats and electric-powered drones designed to provide government and commercial customers with enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities. Utilizing a patented tether system, Drone Aviation’s products are designed to provide prolonged operational duration capabilities combined with improved reliability, uniquely fulfilling critical requirements in military, law enforcement, commercial, and industrial applications. For more information about Drone Aviation, please visit www.DroneAviationCorp.com or view our reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov, including the Risk Factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as well as information in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current expectations, assumptions, and estimates of future performance and economic conditions, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believe,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “on condition,” “target,” “see,” “potential,” “estimates,” “preliminary,” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussion of strategy or goals or other future events, circumstances, or effects. Moreover, forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, those relating to: the ability to support future military needs for advanced voice and data communications applications, the continuation of growing demand for drones for military and state and local law enforcement authorities. The Company’s financial results and the forward-looking statements could be affected by many factors, including, but not limited to, demand for the Company’s products and services, economic conditions in the U.S. and worldwide, changes in appropriations by Congress and reduced funding for defense procurement and research and development programs, and our ability to recruit and retain management, technical, and sales personnel. Further information relating to factors that may impact the Company’s results and forward-looking statements are disclosed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, other than imposed by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.