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Digital transformation of public safety enables dynamic operating environment to better address the evolving array of threats and major incidents

KWESST’s Critical Incident Management solutions provide first responders with real-time networked situational awareness information that improves safety and incident management

Responding to RFPs from national, regional, and local public agencies

May 13th, 2022 – Ottawa – KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) (FSE: 62U) (“KWESST” or “the Company”), a developer of next-generation tactical systems for military, security, and personal defense markets, today announced the appointment of Daniel V. Garcia to lead the expansion of the Company’s Critical Incident Management solutions to the public safety market. Garcia is former Assistant Chief of Police for the Dallas Police Department and Chief of Police of the Phoenix Police Department.

“KWESST has clearly demonstrated its ability to deliver digital transformation technologies for tactical military systems, leveraging the Team Awareness Kit (“TAK”) ecosystem of products to provide real-time exchange of situational awareness, navigation, imagery, and operational information for soldiers on the ground, and now we are applying these proven digitization solutions to the public safety market,” said Rick Bowes, Vice President of KWESST’s Digitization and Counter-Threat division. “Our solutions solve critical challenges for law enforcement, fire, emergency response, search and rescue, and natural disaster management, all of whom require networked situational awareness to understand, decide, and act faster and more efficiently in response to a critical incident.”

According to Accenture, digital transformation presents one of the biggest challenges for public safety agencies. Globally, the public safety and security market was $435 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $868 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10.4%, according to Fortune Business Insights.

“I am very excited at the potential for KWESST’s digital transformation technologies to provide the kind of integrated situational awareness solution that agencies everywhere need,” said Garcia. “As the former head of two of America’s largest police forces, I know firsthand the importance of implementing solutions that can improve responder safety and incident management. KWESST’s solutions are the critical missing piece in major incident response.”

KWESST is actively responding to proposal requests from national, regional and local public agencies. “There is clearly significant potential to extend our digital transformation capabilities to the public safety market across the U.S.,” said Bowes.

About KWESST
KWESST (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) (FSE: 62U) commercializes breakthrough next-generation tactical systems for military and security forces and personal defense. The company’s current portfolio of unique proprietary offerings includes non-lethal systems (PARA OPSTM and ARWENTM) with application across all segments of the non-lethal market, including law enforcement and personal defence. KWESST also facilitates digitization of tactical forces with its signature TASCS system for real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users’ smart devices and indirect fire weapons. Other KWESST products include counter-measures against threats such as drones, lasers and electronic detection. These include: the PhantomTM electronic battlefield deception system to mask the electromagnetic signature of friendly forces with decoy signatures at false locations that deceive and confuse adversaries; a Battlefield Laser Detection System to counter the emerging threat of laser targeting of personnel; and, a non-kinetic system to counter the threat of tactical drones. These systems can operate stand-alone or integrate seamlessly with third-party OEM products and networked battlefield management systems such as ATAK. The Company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with operations in Stafford, VA and representative offices in London, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE.

For more information, please visit https://www.kwesst.com/

Contact: Steve Archambault, CFO, archambault@kwesst.com or (613) 317-3941
Jason Frame, Investor Relations: frame@kwesst.com

Investor Contact:
Dave Gentry, CEO
RedChip Companies
1-800 RED-CHIP (733-2447)
407-491-4499
KWEMF@redchip.com

Press Contact:
Angela Trostle Gorman
angela@AMWPR.com
1-917-348-0083

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation for the purpose of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. KWESST disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.