United States

Drone policy, incidents, and industry news across the United States — from statehouses to the national airspace.

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Oct 7

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Bell

Rochester Police Gets $8M For Surveillance Drones And Cameras To Monitor Protests—Part Of Hochul’s $127M Statewide Push

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is investing $127 million in law enforcement surveillance technology across the state, with Monroe County receiving $24 million—the largest share of any county. Rochester Police Department plans to use $8 million of its allocation to upgrade a 20-year-old blue light camera system and purchase additional drones specifically for crowd control…

Haye KestelooOct 25

Skydio

Trump Jr.-Linked Unusual Machines Lands Major Pentagon Drone Contract Amid Ethics Concerns

Florida-based Unusual Machines has secured its largest Pentagon contract to date, winning a deal to supply 3,500 drone motors and components to the U.S. Army—just months after Donald Trump Jr. joined the company as an adviser with a $4 million stake. The Financial Times first reported the contract award on Friday, reigniting conflict-of-interest concerns that…

Haye KestelooOct 25

Drone Companies

Firefighting Drone Startup Seneca Secures Record $60M to Deploy Autonomous Suppression System

California-based startup Seneca has emerged from stealth mode with $60 million in funding to deploy AI-powered autonomous firefighting drones capable of suppressing wildfires within minutes of detection. The round, believed to be the largest early-stage investment in wildfire defense technology, was led by Caffeinated Capital and Convective Capital. Founded by Stuart Landesberg—who previously buil

Haye KestelooOct 25

Amazon

DJI Mini 5 Pro Ships Fast From Amazon While UPS Destroys Packages in Tariff Chaos

The DJI Mini 5 Pro officially isn’t for sale in the United States—except it absolutely is, and it’s shipping faster than packages of chocolate from Canada that are being destroyed in customs. While UPS admits to “disposing of” thousands of international packages stuck in Trump’s tariff chaos, the brand-new drone that DJI won’t sell Americans…

Haye KestelooOct 24

Autel Robotics

Florida Senator Pushes Emergency DJI Ban, New Drone Payload Restrains Suspects, and Georgia Prison Smuggling Arrests

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. In my latest video, we have three stories for you this week. A Florida senator is pushing for an emergency retroactive ban on certain DJI and Autel drones. Not good. And then we also have a new drone payload that can physically restrain suspects from the air. And…

Greg ReverdiauOct 24

DJI

Merrimac Police Drone Locates Missing 8-Year-Old in Massachusetts Woods Within an Hour

An 8-year-old boy who walked away from his home in Merrimac, Massachusetts, was safely located within 72 minutes Thursday morning thanks to the department’s Drone Unit. Officer William David operated the drone that spotted the child in a wooded area behind his home, demonstrating how small-town police departments are using drone technology to save lives…

Haye KestelooOct 23

ukraine drone drones ai kit skynode - 100 Switchblades to Ukraine in March 2022

Aerovironment

Why Are $400 Ukrainian Drones Beating $100,000 American Switchblades?

Western military drones like the American Switchblade have proven too expensive and ineffective for Ukraine’s high-intensity battlefield, forcing a strategic shift to mass-produced FPV drones that cost a fraction of the price. The Economist reports that sophisticated Western systems costing tens of thousands of dollars are being outperformed by Ukrainian-made drones assembled for as little…

Haye KestelooOct 23

Chula Vista police drone - FAA approval for Chula Vista Police Department to fly beyond-visual-line-of-sight

Skydio

Chula Vista Ordered to Pay $500K in Legal Fees After Losing Landmark Police Drone Transparency Case

A San Diego judge has ordered the City of Chula Vista to pay over $500,000 in legal fees after losing a groundbreaking four-year legal battle over public access to police drone videos, delivering a costly lesson in transparency that could reshape how law enforcement agencies nationwide handle drone footage requests. Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal…

Haye KestelooOct 23

United States

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