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

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North Carolina’s ‘Drone Audition’ Model Shows How Pentagon Plans To Accelerate Military Innovation Beyond Failed Replicator Program
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…

Haye KestelooNov 1
Pentagon’s AI Drone Program Faces Major Setbacks, Gets Organizational Overhaul
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…

Haye KestelooNov 1
Large Remotely Piloted Experimental Aircraft Crash Sparks 83-Acre Colorado Wildfire as Lithium Batteries Intensify Blaze
Firefighters

Large Remotely Piloted Experimental Aircraft Crash Sparks 83-Acre Colorado Wildfire as Lithium Batteries Intensify Blaze

An experimental remote-controlled aircraft crashed near Calhan, Colorado on October 30, igniting an 83-acre wildfire that forced evacuations and highlighted the growing fire risks posed by lithium battery-powered drones in wildfire-prone regions. The 6-foot wingspan aircraft, operated by a commercial company conducting experimental aircraft testing in eastern El Paso County, crashed around 12:30 P

Haye KestelooNov 1
Anduril’s YFQ-44A Autonomous Fighter Drone Completes First Flight, Marking New Era In AI-Powered Air Combat
Anduril

Anduril’s YFQ-44A Autonomous Fighter Drone Completes First Flight, Marking New Era In AI-Powered Air Combat

Anduril Industries successfully flew its YFQ-44A jet-powered combat drone for the first time on October 31, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the U.S. Air Force’s effort to field autonomous “loyal wingman” aircraft that can operate alongside fighter jets. The Los Angeles-based defense tech company and the Air Force confirmed the semi-autonomous flight demonstrates rapid…

Haye KestelooOct 31
DroneDeploy Unveils AI Agents and Ground Robots as Construction Tech Pivots From Aerial to Embodied Intelligence
Pix4D

DroneDeploy Unveils AI Agents and Ground Robots as Construction Tech Pivots From Aerial to Embodied Intelligence

DroneDeploy rolled out three operational AI agents and revealed plans for autonomous ground robots at its Horizons 2025 user conference in Newport Beach, signaling the reality capture company’s transformation from drone-focused mapping platform to comprehensive construction AI and robotics provider. The announcements position DroneDeploy to compete directly with established construction tech playe

Haye KestelooOct 31
Pentagon’s DOGE Unit Seizes Control Of Drone Program After Replicator Failures, Targets 30,000-Unit Buy
Department of Defense

Pentagon’s DOGE Unit Seizes Control Of Drone Program After Replicator Failures, Targets 30,000-Unit Buy

The Pentagon’s Department of Government Efficiency unit is leading a previously undisclosed effort to overhaul the U.S. military drone program, aiming to acquire at least 30,000 cheap drones in the coming months—a dramatic intervention that positions Red Cat, Skydio, and other American manufacturers for significant contract wins after years of bureaucratic delays, according to a…

Haye KestelooOct 31
101st Airborne Soldiers Build $740 Combat Drone After Telling Leadership 'I Can Build That'
US Army

101st Airborne Soldiers Build $740 Combat Drone After Telling Leadership ‘I Can Build That’

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…

Haye KestelooOct 30
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