United States

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

2,621

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182

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Reporters on beat

Sep 10

Last updated

Aerial view of a red crawler crane lowering a steel deck section at the tip of the unfinished Gordie Howe International Bridge cable-stayed span over the Detroit River

DJI

DJI Is 97% Of US Contractor Drone Fleets Despite FCC Ban, ABC Finds

An ABC survey of construction contractors finds DJI is the primary drone for 97.1% of members who fly, months after the FCC blocked new foreign models.

Haye KestelooAug 24

A Forest Service drone sits on a red landing pad at night as a wildfire burns along a forested ridgeline in the background

Oregon

Oregon Warns Drone Pilots: One Flight Can Ground Every Fire Aircraft

Oregon's aviation and emergency agencies warn one unauthorized drone can ground every firefighting aircraft, as US drone incursions hit 67 in 2026.

Haye KestelooAug 23

Lockheed Martin

Saildrone Fires First Missiles From Its Robot Ship at US Navy's RIMPAC

Saildrone and Lockheed Martin fired two JAGM missiles from a Surveyor USV at RIMPAC 2026, the first missile launch from the company's uncrewed ships.

Haye KestelooAug 22

Close-up of a DJI Mini 5 Pro in flight, its gimbal camera and forward sensors facing the viewer against blurred green trees.

OPERATORS

DJI Ban Hits Home: Drone Pilots Ask Whether Their Businesses Survive

A new Part 107 pilot asked Facebook if the DJI ban killed his drone business before launch. 268 comments show what operators face ahead of September 3.

Haye KestelooAug 20

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter hovers low over a forest lake, lowering an orange Bambi Bucket into the water as rotor wash sprays mist across the surface.

Drone Incidents

FBI Task Force Forced Down Hobby Drones Over Spokane Wildfires

An FBI-led counter-drone unit built for the FIFA World Cup detected 41 unauthorized drones over the Spokane wildfires in four days and used electronic countermeasures to force them down. No pilots were arrested; the cases went to the FAA with fines of up to $100,000 each.

Haye KestelooAug 20

AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins on stage at XPONENTIAL Detroit in May 2026, weeks after defending the FCC's expanded Covered List.

ADVOCACY

DSPA Presses AUVSI To Back Operators Over Bans After Robbins Exit

DSPA calls on AUVSI to reset after Michael Robbins' exit: back drone operators, demand evidence, and judge drones on risk, not country of origin.

Haye KestelooAug 20

Auterion drone swarm software coordinating multiple uncrewed aircraft as a single AI-guided strike formation

Counter-Drone

Northcom Cannot Stop A Homeland Drone Swarm. Its Deputy Commander Said So.

Asked if he could defeat a drone swarm launched inside U.S. borders, Northcom's deputy commander said no. Nine days earlier, five autonomous drones hit a tank in Maryland.

Haye KestelooAug 19

RESEARCH

Duke University Drone Tracks Another Drone Using Only Its Sound

Duke's SonicFly follower quadcopter chases a leader drone with a 10-gram microphone array, no GPS sharing, no radio link, and no camera.

Haye KestelooAug 18

United States

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