Amazon Drone Deals: DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo with DJI RC2 now for $1,099!
China
China Drones: Chinese UAV manufacturers, DJI, domestic regulations, export policies, and the growing influence of Chinese-made drones in global markets.
FCC Adds All Foreign Drones To Covered List, Plus DJI Mini 5 Pro Propeller Guard Leak
Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. I only have two stories for you this week, although one is kind of a long one. The FCC adds all UAS and UAS critical components manufactured in a foreign country to the…
Ukraine Evaluates US Autonomous Drone Boats That Its Own Combat Success Inspired
I’ve been tracking Ukraine’s transformation from drone importer to NATO’s leading drone warfare teacher for months. This week brought a development that captures how far the tables have turned: Ukrainian officials traveled to Portugal to evaluate autonomous systems from a…
FPV Pilot Joshua Bardwell: FCC Component Ban May Not Be as Bad as It Sounds
While the drone world panics over the FCC’s sweeping ban on foreign drones and components, FPV expert Joshua Bardwell is urging pilots to take a breath. His analysis raises a critical question that most coverage has missed: Does the FCC…
FCC Banned Foreign Drone Batteries, But China Makes 99% of Them
Yesterday, I wrote about the FCC’s sweeping ban on all foreign-made drones and critical components. Today, the New York Times published an article that exposes a fundamental problem with the administration’s “American drone dominance” strategy: the batteries don’t exist. The FCC’s…
DJI Ban: Why Everyone Owes Drone Pilots Honest Answers
This week, DJI’s Head of Global Policy Adam Welsh sat down with YouTuber Faruk from iPhonedo for what was billed as a deep dive into the looming December 23 DJI ban. I watched the interview hoping for hard questions. What…
China’s CH-7 Stealth Drone Completes First Flight
China’s high altitude stealth drone known as the CH-7 has officially left the runway and returned in one piece, which in the world of advanced flying wing aircraft is no small achievement and usually a reason for quiet celebrations and…
Rapid NATO Counter-Drone System Shines at Bold Machina
If there is one thing modern conflicts have made painfully clear, it is that small drones punch far above their weight. Cheap, fast, and everywhere, they have become the airborne equivalent of mosquitoes with cameras, explosives, or both. At NATO’s…
Take a Look at the First NDAA-Compliant Fiber-Optic FPV Drone!
The Neros Archer is the first fiber-optic FPV drone that is NDAA-compliant, and that’s not the only reason it’s turning heads. The Archer is a newly announced fiber-optic FPV drone from Neros Technologies (US) and Kela Technologies (Israel). A growing…
Connecticut Agricultural Drone Law Takes Effect as 170% Tariffs Price Out 92% of Farms
I’ve been watching Connecticut’s agriculture drone bill since it first appeared in March. Now it’s law, and the timing couldn’t be more ironic: Connecticut just legalized agricultural drone spraying six days before the FCC’s December 23 deadline could ban the…
Hong Kong eVTOL Plans Reveal China’s Global Aviation Standards Strategy
Hong Kong just revealed its hand in the global eVTOL race, and it’s not just about air taxis. It’s about who writes the rules. Dominic Chow Wing-hang, Hong Kong’s deputy director general of civil aviation, announced Saturday that passenger-carrying eVTOLs…
NDAA 2026: Local Police to Gain New Powers to Take Down Your Drone
We’ve tracked counter-drone legislation for years, but the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) changes everything for every drone pilot in America. The bill passed the House 312-112 on December 10 and awaits final Senate action this week before…
Drone Industry Faces Same Private Equity Trap Now Squeezing Volunteer Fire Departments
We have been reporting on how private equity and venture capital are reshaping the drone industry for years. Today, The New York Times published an investigation that exposes the identical playbook being used against volunteer fire departments, and the parallels…