DJI Takes DoD to Court, DJI Mini 4 Pro Gets SDK, and Two Teens Saved by a Drone

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update! We have three stories for you this week. First, DJI takes the Department of Defense to court over its Chinese military company label. Second, the popular DJI Mini 4 Pro gets a huge update—and I mean it, you’ll see this is actually good news. Third, drones play a crucial role in rescuing two lost teenagers in Colorado. Let’s get to it!

DJI Challenges Department of Defense in Court

First up this week, DJI is pushing back legally against the U.S. Department of Defense. On March 14th, DJI filed a motion in federal court challenging the Department of Defense’s designation of the company as a Chinese Military Company (CMC). This label falls under Section 1260H of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which targets companies supposedly linked to the Chinese military. DJI argues that this designation—first applied in October 2022 and reaffirmed this past January—is arbitrary, lacks substantial evidence, and significantly harms their business.

The drone maker points to terminated contracts and state-level restrictions, such as those in Florida and Arkansas, that limit or ban the use of their drones by public safety agencies. DJI is asking the court to declare the DoD’s actions unlawful and remove them from the CMC list. They claim the DoD ignored a detailed de-listing petition submitted last July and failed to provide public justification for the listing, as required by recent amendments.

DJI contests the DoD’s claims about state ownership, stating that its founders and early investors hold the vast majority of stock and voting rights, with state-owned entities having minimal shares. They also dispute the idea that having National Enterprise Technology Center status links them to the military, noting that companies like Volkswagen also hold this civilian-focused status.

This situation definitely highlights the ongoing tension between national security concerns and reliance on DJI drones, especially for first responders who face much higher costs for alternatives. A recent GAO report noted that the Department of the Interior’s costs have jumped significantly after shifting away from DJI. We’ll keep you posted as this case develops.

DJI Mini 4 Pro Gets a Major Update

Next up, there’s exciting news for DJI Mini 4 Pro owners! DJI has released a major update to its Mobile SDK (Software Development Kit, if you’re not familiar with the term), specifically for version 5. This update now includes support for the Mini 4 Pro, which is a pretty big deal—something people have been asking for a long time.

What this means is that third-party developers can now create apps that work directly with the DJI Mini 4 Pro. We’re talking about popular apps like Litchi, DroneDeploy, Drone Harmony, and potentially others that can offer features like advanced flight automation, custom waypoint missions, and better mapping capabilities. This really unlocks pro-level functionality for drones that weigh under 250 grams.

There’s one important catch, though: to use these third-party apps with the SDK, you must be using the DJI RC-N2 controller—the one that uses your smartphone as the screen. Unfortunately, the DJI RC2 controller, the one with the built-in screen, doesn’t have MSDK support, meaning the Mini 4 Pro can’t use it at this time. DJI hasn’t said if this will change, but we’ll keep you updated for sure.

This update also adds MSDK support for the Matrice 4D and the Matrice 4TD (the thermal version). So, if you’re flying the Mini 4 Pro with the RC-N2, keep an eye out for updates to your favorite flight planning app!

Drones Rescue Lost Teenagers in Colorado

Next up this week, a great story showing drones in action saving lives. Two teenagers got lost while hiking near Carpenter Peak in Colorado’s Roxborough State Park last Saturday evening. They did the right thing—called 911 and stayed put.

Douglas County Search and Rescue, along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, responded around 8:30 p.m. As the ground crew started to hike, a DCSA drone team, led by Darren Cararela, launched a drone. Despite windy conditions, the drone quickly located the two teens, who were flashing a light while sheltering under a tree. Using the drone’s GPS data, rescuers pinpointed their exact location, streamlining the effort and sending the team directly to them.

One cool thing about this story is that they used a drone speaker, which allowed one of the teenager’s dads, who was at the scene, to talk directly with his kids and give them words of encouragement. Rescuers eventually reached the teens and guided them safely back down, using the drone as a spotlight to light the way. The whole rescue took about two and a half hours.

It’s another fantastic example of how drones are becoming invaluable tools for search and rescue operations, among other uses. It’s also a good reminder to have a plan when you go hiking—especially as the days get nicer and more people head outside. Make sure you know what you’re doing out there!

Quick Studio Update

Lastly, you may or may not have noticed, but we are finally in our new building! This is the first video we’re recording here in this new studio. We’re still working on some arrangements—the sound isn’t great, as you may have noticed—but we spent the last couple of weeks moving all the gear, tearing down the old set, and building the new one here. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, obviously. We’ve got a lot of courses we’re going to record, and with this new building, we’ll be able to offer in-person training very soon.

Next week—because we’re not busy enough—we’ll be at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida. If you’re in the area, stop by! The show starts on Tuesday and runs through Sunday. We have a booth, the team will be there, and we’ve got lots of goodies. We’d love to talk to you guys! We’ll be back the following Monday for a live Q&A—finally, after missing three weeks in a row—and then that Friday for our Friday Live. See you then, and fly safe!