Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Founder of DroneXL.co, where he covers all drone-related news, DJI rumors and writes drone reviews, and of EVXL.co, for all electric vehicle news. Haye can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

6,334

Articles

273

Beats covered

2020

Writing since

Sep 8

Latest story

DJI

American Drone Hobby Faces Accessibility Crisis as Bans, Regulations, and Market Forces Converge

The United States drone hobby is under severe pressure from multiple directions simultaneously, threatening to transform the most accessible entry point into aviation into an increasingly expensive and restricted pursuit. While Canadian and European enthusiasts enjoy flourishing drone communities with sensible regulations, U.S. hobbyists face an impending manufacturer authorization freeze, abandon

Haye KestelooOct 27

DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Mini 5 Pro: The Biggest Upgrade Has Nothing to Do With Image Quality

Department of Homeland Security

Wisconsin Proposes Law Letting Police Shoot Down Drones Despite Federal Ban

Wisconsin lawmakers are circulating legislation that would authorize police to shoot down drones they deem threats to public safety—a move that directly contradicts federal law making it a felony to destroy any aircraft, including drones. The bill, coauthored by Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) and Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin), would grant law enforcement unprecedented authority…

Haye KestelooOct 27

Hong Kong Drones Slash Medical Delivery Times to Islands

Amazon

Hong Kong Just Gave Drones Their Own Airwaves — and Left the FAA in the Dust

While the FAA drafts its 700‑page BVLOS rule, Hong Kong’s drones are already flying under their own spectrum. Hong Kong’s Communications Authority has launched a dedicated frequency license specifically for drone communications, marking a significant infrastructure investment in the city’s rapidly expanding low-altitude economy. The 1430-1444 MHz band (1.4 GHz band) will provide an alternative…

Haye KestelooOct 27

Ukraine

ParaZero Lands Another Major Counter-Drone Defense Contract As Global Demand Surges

Israeli aerospace defense company ParaZero Technologies has secured another substantial order for its DefendAir counter-drone systems from an unnamed Tier 1 global defense corporation, according to an announcement from the company. The contract marks the third significant DefendAir order ParaZero has announced in just three months, underscoring the explosive growth in counter-UAS procurement world

Haye KestelooOct 27

Auterion

Norway Deploys First Operational NATO Drone Swarm As Europe Races To Match Ukraine’s Battlefield Innovation

The Norwegian Army has officially received its first Valkyrie autonomous drone swarm system, becoming the first NATO country to field an operational swarm platform as European allies scramble to adopt rapid-iteration defense development models proven effective in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. The handover took place on October 16 during LandX, the Norwegian Defence Research…

Haye KestelooOct 27

Canada

Volatus Aerospace Launches NATO-Aligned Drone Manufacturing Hub in Canada to Boost Defense Readiness

Canadian drone manufacturer Volatus Aerospace announced plans to establish a 200,000-square-foot Innovation Center and Manufacturing Hub at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, marking a significant expansion of domestic defense drone production aligned with NATO requirements. The facility will produce both proprietary Volatus platforms and licensed partner systems to support the Canadian Armed

Haye KestelooOct 27

North Korea

North Korean Hackers Target European Drone Makers in Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

North Korean state-sponsored hackers are actively targeting European defense contractors in a cyberespionage campaign designed to steal drone manufacturing secrets, security researchers revealed this week. The attacks, linked to the notorious Lazarus Group, focus specifically on companies developing unmanned aerial vehicle technology that’s currently being deployed in Ukraine. ESET researchers dis

Haye KestelooOct 27

Ukraine

Russia Deploys Ring-Wing “Kometa” Drones Over Ukraine As Experimental Design Triples Range

Ukrainian forces have spotted unusual Russian drones with circular ring-wing designs operating over front lines, marking the first combat deployment of an experimental aerodynamic configuration that could extend strike range by up to three times compared to conventional quadcopters. The Kometa drones, manufactured by Russian company Shag Vpered, represent Moscow’s latest attempt to gain tactical…

Haye KestelooOct 26

Haye Kesteloo

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.