China
FAI Launches Drone Soccer: The World’s First Head-to-Head Air Sport
Welcome to Drone Soccer — a new, high-speed competition where drones take center stage in a futuristic version of football played in the sky.
China
Export controls, the Shenzhen supply chain, and the geopolitics of the world’s drone-manufacturing superpower.
565
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Aug 30
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Amazon
US Army Plans 1 Million Drone Purchase In Dramatic Pivot To Ukraine-Style Mass Production
U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll announced plans to purchase at least 1 million drones over the next two to three years, marking a dramatic 20-fold increase from current acquisition levels as the Pentagon races to catch up with adversaries who produce drones by the millions. Driscoll detailed the massive ramp-up in an exclusive interview with…
China
China’s Boying T1400 Heavy Lift Drone Completes Its First Flight
Called the Boying T1400, this heavy-duty drone recently completed its first successful test flight in Harbin, Heilongjiang province
DJI
DJI Fly App Update Brings Neo 2 Support With Smart New Flight Features
DJI released Fly app version 1.19.0 on October 30, 2025, adding full compatibility with the newly-launched Neo 2 drone alongside intelligent flight features that make the palm-launched platform significantly more capable. The update introduces SelfieShot multi-angle capture, enhanced gesture controls, customizable mode sets, and improved ActiveTrack flexibility—positioning the Neo 2 as DJI’s most
Technology
Pony.ai’s Driverless Taxi Leap: Why this matters to drone pilots
Pony.ai has launched its first fully driverless robotaxi pilot program in Shenzhen, marking a major step in the company’s effort to make autonomous
North Carolina
North Carolina’s ‘Drone Audition’ Model Shows How Pentagon Plans To Accelerate Military Innovation Beyond Failed Replicator Program
Based on reporting by Dan Barkin for Business North Carolina A first-of-its-kind drone competition in rural North Carolina is quietly prototyping how America might finally close its innovation gap with Ukraine’s battlefield laboratories—by letting military commanders “audition” new systems at civilian facilities and buy them within months instead of years. Dan Barkin attended and reported…
United States
Pentagon Chief Pitches U.S. Drone Technology to Counter China’s South China Sea Aggression
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Southeast Asian nations to deploy unmanned surveillance technologies in a unified network to counter what he described as China’s escalating aggression in the disputed South China Sea. Speaking at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday, Hegseth urged the bloc to…
DJI
Trump–Xi Truce Pauses BIS ‘50% Affiliates’ Rule — But DJI Still Faces Dec. 23 FCC Deadline
A one-year U.S.–China trade truce announced after President Trump met President Xi in Busan includes a pause of the Commerce/BIS “50% affiliates” rule, tariff trims, and commitments on soybeans, fentanyl precursors, and rare earths. It does not stop the NDAA clock that could put DJI on the FCC Covered List on December 23, 2025 if…
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