DJI Avata 360 Launch Date and 8K Resolution Confirmed, SkyeBrowse Update, and $5,000 Reward for Stolen Military Drones

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week. First off, DJI officially announces the Avata 360 launch date and the 8K resolution. We have another SkyeBrowse update. And then finally, a $5,000 reward if you can figure out who stole some military drones. So, let’s get to it.

DJI Officially Confirms the Avata 360 Launch Date and 8K Resolution

First up this week, DJI has finally confirmed the launch of the highly anticipated Avata 360. I think I’ve heard 12 different dates already for release in the last couple of months. But anyway, they dropped a short teaser video on March 10 with the tagline of “Above It All, See It All.” And they didn’t hold back on the details, which is kind of surprising. The subtitle clearly states that it’s an 8K flagship 360 drone, and the official launch date is set for March 26, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. GMT.

What’s really interesting here is that DJI is changing their marketing tactics a little bit. Usually we get a blurry silhouette and a countdown with just one week before the launch. This time they’re actually naming the product and the 8K resolution a full 16 days — two weeks — before the announcement. That’s a notable shift.

Now, according to some reports, the Avata 360 will feature a brand new replaceable lens system — a dedicated lens kit that reportedly will cost around $60 and include two replacement lenses and the necessary tool. If you’ve ever flown a 360 drone before, you know that you can easily scratch the lenses on landing, since the cameras are at the bottom and at the top. With this system, you can just swap them yourself for about $30 per side, instead of sending the entire drone in for repair. I think that’s a huge win. It solves a real problem.

We also have leaked battery specs. The new intelligent fly battery will reportedly cost around $80 and is packed with 38.6Wh of capacity. Compare that to the Avata 2, which has a 31.8Wh battery that cost $115. So more capacity, less money — everybody wins.

The drone is also expected to pair with the DJI Goggles N3 and hopefully also with the Goggles 3. But there is a catch for the average consumer. The Avata 360 is reportedly coming in at 400 grams, which is well beyond the 250g category. That means you’ll need to register the drone whether you’re flying recreationally or under Part 107, and you’ll have to comply with Remote ID rules in order to fly legally here in the United States.

SkyeBrowse Releases Another Update for Public Safety Drone Mapping

Next up, SkyeBrowse has released another update. If you’re not familiar, SkyeBrowse builds drone mapping software for public safety agencies using videogrammetry and photogrammetry technology. The platform is currently used by over 1,200 public safety agencies worldwide for applications like accident reconstruction, crime scene investigation, and disaster response.

The update focuses on the flight app, which is expanding drone capabilities and improving mission planning tools. The update adds support for popular drones like the Mini 4 Pro, the Matrice 400, and the Matrice 4 series, along with some new high-performance sensor payloads.

The wide browse grid scanning workflow has also been redesigned, introducing two different capture modes: the cross grid, which is added for more scene detail — especially on low-rise structures — and the side scan for capturing the facade of buildings and vertical surfaces. There are also new features like a live ETA display for pre-flight planning, and previous flight tools that help with reloading and recompleting the same mission with identical settings. Good stuff from SkyeBrowse.

$5,000 Reward Offered After Military Drones Stolen from Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Last up, this is kind of a weird story. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals who allegedly stole military drones from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. According to the U.S. Army, four Skydio X10D drone systems were taken. The X10D is the defense and military variant of the X10, reportedly stolen between November 21st and November 24th of 2025 — so this happened late last year.

Unknown individuals unlawfully gained access to a building belonging to the 326th Division Engineering Battalion and took the equipment. The Army CID is actively investigating the incident and is asking anyone with credible information to submit an anonymous tip. This is kind of a “don’t be that guy” segment. If you have information, go make a good $5,000.

I’m just shaking my head at this one. They still had the security footage and it hadn’t been erased yet. We’ll see how this one plays out. We’ll see you next week.

This article is based on a video by Pilot Institute on YouTube. Greg Reverdiau regularly publishes drone news and educational content for the drone community. You can also find his work on the Pilot Institute author page on DroneXL.