United States

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

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Sep 11

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Pentagon Laser Shoots Down CBP Drone Near El Paso

Department of Defense

Pentagon Shoots Down Its Own $30M CBP Drone at the Texas Border and Still Has No Fix for the Coordination Failure That Caused It

A U.S. military high-energy laser destroyed a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) surveillance drone near Fort Hancock, Texas on Thursday, February 26. The reason: CBP never told the Pentagon it was flying one. The military saw an unidentified aircraft in military airspace, identified it as a threat, and fired. Cost to taxpayers: an estimated…

Haye KestelooFeb 28

National Guard Expands Small Drone Training

United States

Drone Operators Trained for Modern Combat at Fort Indiantown Gap

At Fort Indiantown Gap, the quiet February air is buzzing, not with helicopters, but with something smaller, sharper, and far more personal: drones. For ten days, as the National Guard reports, soldiers from across different units and specialties gathered to attend a small unmanned aircraft system operator course, known in military shorthand as sUAS The…

Rafael SuárezFeb 28

Texas

US Military Shoots Down CBP’s Own Drone Near Texas Border, Democrats Demand Independent Investigation

The Pentagon fired a high-energy laser at a drone near Fort Hancock, Texas on Thursday — and destroyed it. The problem: it was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone. CBP had not told the military it was flying one. The Pentagon saw an unidentified aircraft, engaged it, and the FAA responded by shutting…

Haye KestelooFeb 27

DJI

DJI Drone Tracks DUI Suspect in Freezing Woods

In the blue hush of a 5 a.m. Washington morning, when frost grips the grass and most of the world is still asleep, a small aircraft lifted into the air above Deer Park. Not a helicopter. Not a plane. A DJI bird. Like the ones that you and me fly everyday. Well, not exactly like…

Rafael SuárezFeb 27

Department of Defense

Pentagon Laser Shoots Down CBP Drone Near El Paso, Exposing a Deeper Government Coordination Failure

The Department of Defense used a high-energy laser to destroy a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone over Fort Hancock, Texas on Thursday, February 26, according to four officials who spoke to The New York Times. The FAA responded by shutting down airspace below 18,000 feet over the area and Democratic lawmakers immediately called…

Haye KestelooFeb 27

Anduril

US Air Force swaps AI midflight on YFQ-44A

The United States Air Force just treated combat drone autonomy like an app you can close and reopen, except this app flies at jet speeds. In a recent test, Anduril Industries demonstrated that its YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft can switch between two completely different mission autonomy systems while airborne, no landing, no wrench turning, no…

Rafael SuárezFeb 27

DJI

Ohio Launches Statewide Drone First Responder Pilot

The Ohio Department of Transportation, through DriveOhio, has selected nine public safety agencies for the Ohio Statewide Drone First Responder Pilot Program, a coordinated effort to integrate rapid launch drone systems directly into emergency dispatch workflows across the state, as Hometown Stations reports.

Rafael SuárezFeb 26

Summerville DFR Launches With Nokia, Motorola and BRINC

Skydio

Summerville DFR Launches With Nokia and Motorola Solutions

Correction (March 9, 2026): An earlier version of this article’s headline included BRINC alongside Nokia and Motorola Solutions, which incorrectly implied BRINC was part of the Summerville Police Department deployment. BRINC is a Motorola Solutions portfolio investment referenced in the context of the broader DFR ecosystem. The Summerville program is a Nokia Drone Networks and…

Rafael SuárezFeb 26

United States

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