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Haye Kesteloo

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. Also on LinkedIn, Muck Rack, Instagram and YouTube.

6,378
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273
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2020
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ACSL SOTEN Gets SAMO: A 64MP Thermal Payload Built for Operators Who Can't Use DJI
ACSL

ACSL SOTEN Gets SAMO: A 64MP Thermal Payload Built for Operators Who Can’t Use DJI

ACSL is actively promoting SAMO, its dual optical-thermal swappable payload for the SOTEN drone, as the Japan-made platform pushes deeper into U.S. public safety and inspection markets. Built around Teledyne FLIR’s Hadron 640R module, SAMO pairs a 64-megapixel visible camera with a 640×512 radiometric Boson thermal sensor — all in an NDAA-compliant, ITAR-free package. Teledyne…

Wing Sets the Record Straight on Five Drone Delivery Myths
FAA

Wing Sets the Record Straight on Five Drone Delivery Myths

Wing, Alphabet’s drone delivery subsidiary, published a five-point myth-busting campaign on LinkedIn this week, pushing back on the most common misconceptions about commercial drone delivery. The post drew over 100 reactions and arrived the same week Wing sponsored the networking area at XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Düsseldorf, putting these arguments in front of European regulators…

NATO and Ukraine Open UNITE-Brave Portal, Putting €10 Million in Counter-Drone Contracts Within Reach of Allied Companies
Ukraine

NATO and Ukraine Open UNITE-Brave Portal, Putting €10 Million in Counter-Drone Contracts Within Reach of Allied Companies

NATO and Ukraine opened the UNITE-Brave NATO web portal on March 25, 2026, giving Allied and Ukrainian companies their first direct access to a matchmaking system tied to a €10 million joint innovation competition. The portal, hosted on Brave1’s website, lists open challenges in Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and air defense — the two…

Quantum Systems RAT Drone Gives Europe What It Lacked: A Shahed to Train Against
Europe

Quantum Systems RAT Drone Gives Europe What It Lacked: A Shahed to Train Against

German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems unveiled a jet-powered target drone called the RAT (Red Air Target) at the 62nd Munich Security Conference, held February 13–15, 2026 — and the problem it solves is blunter than the name suggests. European air-defense units cannot effectively train against Shahed-style mass drone attacks because they have no realistic targets…

Freefly Systems Sets Freefly Fest 2026 for August 19 Near Seattle
FreeFly Systems

Freefly Systems Sets Freefly Fest 2026 for August 19 Near Seattle

Freefly Systems will hold its 5th annual Freefly Fest on August 19, 2026, just outside Seattle, Washington. Chief Revenue Officer Matt Isenbarger announced the date on LinkedIn, describing the event as a day of hands-on demos, BBQ, and tours of Freefly Systems HQ. No venue has been announced yet — Freefly’s own shipping page lists…

The High Cost of Security: Why the "Pain" of a DJI Ban Means Lives Lost, Not Just Lost Profits - Drones Favored by Utah Search and Rescue Crews: Enhancing Efficiency in Wilderness Operations
NASA

DRONERESPONDERS SAR Working Group Hosts May 19 Virtual Meetup on Drone Pilot Training

DRONERESPONDERS and the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) have scheduled their next Search and Rescue (SAR) Working Group virtual roundtable for May 19, 2026. The session focuses on training — specifically how to become a more efficient small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) SAR pilot — and is open to anyone who works in or cares about…

Ukraine's Drone Industry Arrives in Düsseldorf, and It Has Receipts
Ukraine

Varta Put a Shotgun on a Drone. Ukraine’s Frontlines Say It Works.

On the table at the Brave1 pavilion at XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Düsseldorf sat a drone unlike anything else on the floor. The frame was large — arms stretched wide, propellers big enough to move serious air. Strapped to the body was a black housing with the VARTA logo and a prominent blue battery pack.…

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