Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week. The FCC is moving to shut out Chinese test labs, Versaterm is bringing LAANC into DroneSense, and DJI has launched the Dock 4 with automatic battery swaps. Let’s get to it.

The FCC Votes October 29 on Cutting Off Every Lab in Mainland China

First up, the FCC will vote on October 29 on an order that ends recognition of every test lab in mainland China. The cutoff date is December 1, 2028. Every phone, camera, router and other electronic device needs FCC authorization before it can be imported into the US.

Private labs do that testing, and interestingly, Chinese labs tested 82% of the devices that applied in 2025, according to the FCC’s draft order. US labs tested less than 4%. That means out of the 46,402 devices that applied, 38,491 were tested in mainland China.

Now, this doesn’t change the Chinese drone ban. Foreign-made drones went on the Covered List back in December 2025, and no new grants are possible, no matter who tests them. But this is going to hit products that can still get approval, like the DJI Osmo series, chargers, accessories, and really any other brand’s device that performs its testing in China. DroneXL broke down the full draft order when the FCC published it.

DroneSense Users Can Request LAANC Approval Without Leaving the App

Next, Versaterm has built LAANC authorization directly into DroneSense, so public safety agencies can now request airspace approval through the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability without ever leaving the app they already use to manage and dispatch drones. That connection runs through Aloft, which Versaterm acquired back in February.

So, DroneSense is now an FAA-approved Supplemental Data Service Provider (SDSP). The goal here is speed for drone as first responder programs, and that matters in search and rescue and on calls near airports.

Now, it doesn’t appear at this time that this is Special Governmental Interest (SGI) approval through LAANC, just LAANC approval. And as a reminder for those of you in public safety, the integrated workflow does not mean guaranteed approval. You still have to meet the FAA requirements, and you still have to actually get the approval.

Currently, there’s no rollout date for this. So, for those of you using DroneSense, you may need to reach out to see when this is going to go live.

DJI Dock 4 Swaps Batteries in 25 Seconds, but It Won’t Reach the US

On the hardware side, DJI has launched the Dock 4 and the Matrice 5TD. The Dock 4 is the first DJI dock with automatic battery swaps, where earlier docks only charged the pack inside the drone. DJI says the swap takes 25 seconds, and landing to takeoff takes 45 seconds.

So, that’s less than a minute on the ground. The Matrice 5TD flies up to 59 minutes per battery. It has three 50-megapixel cameras, a thermal camera, lidar, and millimeter-wave radar. The dock holds three spare batteries and charges up to two at a time.

With the Covered List in place, though, there’s no path to US sale or use. So, while this may be a great upgrade for some folks who use the Dock 3 or Dock 2, it’s not going to be available in the US.

And the conversation continues on Post Flight, where we’ll discuss these stories uncensored in the premium community. The link’s in the description, and we’ll see you on Monday for the live Q&A. Have a great weekend.

This article is based on a video from our YouTube partner Greg Reverdiau. Watch the full weekly UAS news update on the Pilot Institute YouTube channel, and find more of Greg’s work on his DroneXL author page.