Lip-Bu Tan put money into Classiq’s Series B back in 2022. On Monday, the chipmaker he now runs agreed to buy the whole company. Draganfly’s news landed a day later and at a far smaller scale: a U.S. defense customer just bought its Heavy Lift drone for the first time.
Draganfly Books First U.S. Defense Sales of Its Heavy Lift Drone
Draganfly Inc. (Nasdaq: DPRO; CSE: DPRO) announced on October 27 its first sales of the Heavy Lift platform, plus separate follow-on purchases of its Commander 3XL systems. Both came from an existing U.S. Department of War customer that already flies Draganfly’s Flex drones. The orders span multiple Light Infantry Divisions.
No dollar value. No unit count.
The new Commander 3XL units will work alongside the customer’s Flex fleet on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Heavy Lift is the more interesting piece. It is the platform Draganfly built for bigger payloads, and this is its first U.S. defense buyer.
The stock needed good news. Shares fell about 59% in the year to October 20, including a 36% drop in the final month alone. Earlier in October, Draganfly took a stake in Ukrainian defense technology company DoD Solution.
Intel Agrees to Buy Quantum Software Maker Classiq
Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) signed a definitive agreement on October 26 to acquire Classiq, a Tel Aviv quantum software company. The plan pairs Classiq’s automated algorithm synthesis platform with Intel’s silicon spin-qubit hardware and chip manufacturing, adding quantum processors to a lineup that already spans CPUs, GPUs and ASICs. Spin qubits store quantum information in the spin of electrons.
Intel didn’t name a price. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, put it at about $2.3 billion. SiliconANGLE reported $2.2 billion.
Shares rose about 3.5% on Tuesday. Not everyone cheered. CNBC’s Investing Club, which owns the stock, said it would rather see the money from Intel’s $20 billion August share sale go into manufacturing capacity.
The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals. Intel reports third-quarter results Thursday.
DPRO, INTC: Forward-Looking FAQ
No. The buyer is an existing Department of War customer already using Draganfly’s Flex platforms, now adding Heavy Lift and more Commander 3XL systems. The company has not disclosed what the orders are worth.
Not as part of Intel’s business. The deal isn’t expected to close until the first half of 2027, and Intel says the two companies will run separately until then.
Sources
- GlobeNewswire / Draganfly: Draganfly Announces U.S. Defense Sales Across Heavy Lift and Commander 3XL Platforms, October 27, 2026
- StockTitan: Draganfly (DPRO) Heavy Lift and Commander 3XL sales summary, October 27, 2026
- StockTitan: Draganfly (DPRO) stock overview and price history, as of October 20, 2026
- GlobeNewswire / Draganfly: Draganfly Makes Strategic Investment in Ukraine Defence Technology Company Solution, October 13, 2026
- Intel Newsroom: Intel to Acquire Classiq to Create a Full-stack Quantum Computing Platform, October 26, 2026
- Bloomberg: Intel to Buy Quantum Startup Classiq for About $2.3 Billion, October 26, 2026
- SiliconANGLE: Intel buys quantum software pioneer Classiq for $2.2B, October 26, 2026
- CNBC Investing Club: What’s behind the AI trade comeback, plus our take on Intel’s latest deal, October 27, 2026
- The Quantum Insider: Intel to Acquire Classiq to Create a Full-stack Quantum Computing Platform, October 26, 2026
- The Elec: Intel to Acquire Quantum Computing Software Company Classiq, October 28, 2026
Editorial Disclosure
Securities discussed: Draganfly Inc. (Nasdaq: DPRO; CSE: DPRO) and Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC). aktiego.com has not received any compensation from any company mentioned, their management, investor relations representatives, or any third party. No staff member or principal of aktiego.com holds a position in any security mentioned at the time of publication. Draganfly: order values and unit counts not disclosed. Intel: market capitalization approximately $540 billion as of October 13, 2026; Classiq acquisition is pending, subject to regulatory approvals, purchase price not disclosed by Intel. Small cap and micro-cap stocks listed on the CSE, TSX, TSXV, and Nasdaq are speculative investments carrying significant risk including potential total loss of capital. Coverage on aktiego.com is provided for informational and educational purposes only. aktiego.com is not a registered investment advisor. Nothing in this article constitutes financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. For more information please see our full DISCLAIMER.
