Insider Brief
- SEALSQ Corp and Parrot SA have expanded their partnership to integrate post-quantum cryptography into Parrot’s next generation of professional drones.
- The collaboration will focus on embedding quantum-resistant cryptographic technologies into drone platforms to support secure authentication, encrypted communications, and device identity.
- The initiative builds on existing deployments of SEALSQ secure semiconductor technology in several Parrot drone platforms used in defense, public safety, and government operations.
PRESS RELEASE — SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES) (“SEALSQ” or the “Company”), a global leader in post-quantum semiconductor security, and Parrot SA, Europe’s leading commercial micro-UAV group, today announced the expansion of their long-standing strategic collaboration to integrate Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) technologies from SEALSQ into Parrot’s next generation of professional drones.
A Partnership Built on Proven Security Excellence
Parrot and SEALSQ have been working in close collaboration for several years to deliver industry-leading cybersecurity across Parrot’s professional drone lineup. SEALSQ’s secure semiconductor technology is embedded in Parrot’s current flagship platforms for defense, public safety, and government applications: the ANAFI UKR, Parrot’s latest ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Recognition) tactical micro-drone designed for demanding operational environments, and the CHUCK 3.0, Parrot’s autopilot powering all types of UAV platforms. Building on earlier deployments in the ANAFI Ai and ANAFI USA, SEALSQ’s role as Parrot’s trusted security partner has deepened with each new platform generation. Across all these systems, SEALSQ co-develops and provisions NIST “FIPS” compliant and Common Criteria EAL5+ certified Secure Elements, delivering cryptographic device identity, tamper-resistant key storage, and secure boot integrity.
On the ANAFI UKR and CHUCK 3.0, SEALSQ’s Secure Element technology enables a comprehensive security architecture built for the most demanding government and defense missions:
- Digitally signed firmware ensuring only authenticated software runs on the platform.
- NIST “FIPS” compliant cryptographic operations providing hardware-rooted device identity and tamper-resistant key storage.
- Zero data shared without user consent.
- Full data privacy between drone and operator device, with optional sharing exclusively on secured sovereign servers.
- SD card AES-XTS encryption with a 512-bit key.
This security architecture reflects the same principles pioneered on earlier Parrot platforms, the ANAFI Ai and ANAFI USA, where SEALSQ first established its role as Parrot’s embedded security partner, and which set the standard for cybersecurity-by-design in the professional drone industry.
Expanding into the Post-Quantum Era
With this new phase of collaboration, the partnership now advances to post-quantum security. The partners have agreed to work together on a roadmap, starting with the development of a Proof of Concept, to incorporate SEALSQ’s quantum-resistant cryptographic technologies, enabling secure authentication, encrypted communications, and trusted device identity engineered to withstand both classical and quantum-era cyberattacks.
A Critical Market at an Inflection Point
The worldwide commercial drone market continues to expand rapidly, with projections indicating growth from approximately $4 billion to more than $40 billion, driven by increasing adoption across public safety, defense, security, infrastructure inspection, and industrial monitoring. Beyond privacy, encryption, and cybersecurity, professional drone operators increasingly require secure long-distance operations, strong credential management for multiple pilots, and resilient communications systems capable of protecting mission-critical data and command infrastructure.
The integration of post-quantum cryptography into drone platforms represents a critical step in ensuring that fleets deployed today remain secure for decades ahead, protecting sensitive operational data against emerging cryptographic threats, including “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, in which adversaries capture encrypted data today with the intent to decrypt it once sufficiently powerful quantum computers are available. Critically, this transition is no longer purely forward-looking: PQC is rapidly becoming a binding regulatory requirement. The U.S. National Security Agency’s Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0 (CNSA 2.0) mandates the migration to quantum-resistant algorithms for all systems handling national security information, with targeted compliance timelines already in effect for software and firmware, and imminent deadlines for networking equipment and platforms.
CNSA 2.0 explicitly requires the adoption of NIST-standardized PQC algorithms, including CRYSTALS-Kyber for key encapsulation and CRYSTALS-Dilithium for digital signatures, for government and defense-grade applications. Drone platforms operating in public safety, defense, and critical infrastructure missions fall squarely within this scope. Beyond the United States, equivalent frameworks are emerging across NATO allies and the European Union, signaling that PQC compliance will become a baseline procurement requirement for government drone programs worldwide. For Parrot and its professional customers, early adoption of post-quantum security is not only a competitive differentiator, it is a prerequisite for continued access to the most sensitive and high-value government missions.
Carlos Moreira, Chairman & CEO of SEALSQ, said: “Drones are becoming essential tools for governments, defense, public safety, and industrial operations worldwide. Having contributed to build the security foundation of Parrot’s ANAFI USA and ANAFI Ai platforms, we are proud to take our partnership to the next level by integrating post-quantum cryptography directly into Parrot’s next drone generation. With frameworks like CNSA 2.0 now setting binding PQC migration timelines for national security systems, being quantum-ready is no longer optional for platforms serving government and defense customers, it is a requirement. Our collaboration with Parrot demonstrates the importance of embedding quantum-resistant security at the semiconductor level to protect critical autonomous systems and ensure their long-term regulatory compliance.”
Henri Seydoux, CEO of Parrot, added: “Security and data integrity are fundamental requirements for our range of ISR micro-drone. SEALSQ is and has been our trusted security partner on our most demanding platforms, including the ANAFI UKR, and previously ANAFI USA and ANAFI Ai. Post-quantum cryptography is becoming a mandatory standard for platforms engaged in sensitive government and public safety missions, frameworks like CNSA 2.0 are already setting clear compliance deadlines, and equivalent requirements are taking shape across Europe and within NATO. Expanding our collaboration with SEALSQ into the post-quantum domain allows us to get ahead of these requirements, integrate the most advanced semiconductor security into our next-generation platforms, and continue delivering the level of trust and reliability that our most demanding customers expect.”
