News, deep dives, and analysis — every Countries story, newest first.
Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, Halloween edition, where scary politicians create scary laws. I have three stories for you this week: The FCC votes on new powers, DJI drone and payload leaks, and a California homeowner facing a massive $300,000 fine based on—well, you’ll see—drone stuff. FCC Votes to Grant Itself Retroactive Ban…
Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are building disposable combat drones for less than $800 each, dramatically undercutting commercial alternatives that cost up to $11,000 while delivering the same battlefield capabilities. The Attritable Battlefield Enabler, or ABE 1.01, costs just $740 at scale and provides small units with reconnaissance, target acquisition, and the ability to…
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…
A basketball stuffed with tobacco and cellphones. Ceramic knives that slip past metal detectors. Drones equipped with deep-sea fishing release mechanisms. These are just some of the seized contraband items displayed by a groundbreaking joint task force in Kingston, Ontario—Canada’s first dedicated anti-drone smuggling operation targeting correctional facilities. After nine months of coordinated op
A $400 million fine. Raids on retailer locations. Allegations of supply threats against independent dealers. While DJI battles U.S. security reviews, Italy just opened an investigation into the company’s alleged price-fixing scheme—and the evidence was seized from distributor offices last week. Italy’s competition authority has opened an investigation into Chinese drone maker DJI and its…
For everyone outside Asia excited to order a DJI Neo 2 tomorrow…. I am sorry, but you won’t be able to. There are a number of reasons why this might be happening, but one of the more prominent explanations is that DJI is changing tactics and is going full “China first” with their marketing. But…
California-based 1X Technologies opened pre-orders this week for NEO, the first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to handle household tasks—but Wall Street Journal testing revealed a surprising reality. The $20,000 robot that promises to fold your laundry and load your dishwasher can’t actually do any of that autonomously yet. Every task requires a remote human operator…
The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 yesterday to grant itself unprecedented authority to retroactively ban equipment from companies on its Covered List, directly targeting DJI’s rapidly expanding network of shell companies ahead of a critical December 23 deadline. The FCC can now block devices containing Covered List components and revoke previously authorized equipment in specific…
One email with the drone news that matters — DJI, FAA, public safety, and everything in between, straight from the newsroom. No spam, no fluff.
