Rhode Island

News, deep dives, and analysis — every Rhode Island story, newest first.

Articles

Beats covered

Reporter on beat

Oct 5

Last updated

Flock Safety Alpha drone lifting off from its white rooftop dock inside a fenced enclosure, city skyline behind

Rhode Island · Police

Warwick Police Flock Drone Waits On T.F. Green's Zero-Foot FAA Grids

Warwick, RI's $150,000 Flock Alpha police drone has a BVLOS waiver but no airport airspace approval. FAA facility map grids at T.F. Green read 0 feet.

Haye KestelooOct 55 min read

The DJI Mini 4K Is On Sale for $269 and It Might Be Your Sign

FAA

Providence Drone Ban Locks Down Downtown Until July 21 As World Cup Ghana Base Camp Gets FAA No-Fly Ring

An FAA temporary flight restriction bans drones over downtown Providence until July 21, protecting Ghana's World Cup base camp. Penalties reach $100,000.

Haye KestelooJun 8

DJI

CiS Unveils ORKA Dock, A Self-Operating Drone Hangar Built To Launch From Moving Uncrewed Boats

German autonomous aerial systems developer CiS unveiled the ORKA Dock at the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough on May 19, 2026, calling it the world’s first fully autonomous drone launch and recovery system that operates from a moving uncrewed surface vessel without any human in the loop. The system was validated during SeaSEC 2026, an…

Haye KestelooMay 21

United States

Illegal Drone Flights Surge in Yosemite as Government Shutdown Cripples Ranger Enforcement

Illegal drone activity is spiking across U.S. national parks as the federal government shutdown enters its 23rd day, with tour guides in Yosemite reporting multiple daily sightings compared to their normal rate of about one drone per week. The enforcement vacuum comes as the National Park Service operates with skeleton crews after losing 24% of…

Haye KestelooOct 23

Ukraine

Former U.S. Airman Resurfaces as Russian Drone Operator in Ukraine

Wilmer Puello-Mota, a 28-year-old former U.S. Air Force member, has appeared in Russian propaganda videos operating drones for Moscow’s forces in eastern Ukraine. This surprising development comes after Puello-Mota fled the United States to avoid jail time for child pornography charges, according to a report by The Washington Post. From U.S. Air Force to Russian…

Haye KestelooAug 25

Anduril

Palmer Luckey’s Defense Startup, Anduril, Raises $1.5 Billion to Produce AI-Powered Weapons

Anduril, a defense tech startup, has secured $1.5 billion in funding. This significant investment positions the company to transition from an industry

Haye KestelooAug 9

Legal

Cranston Man Faces Child Molestation Charges After Drone Spying Incident

Disturbing Revelations in Cranston: From Drone Spying to Child Molestation A shocking turn of events has unfolded in Cranston, Rhode Island, where a man previously caught using a drone for spying has now been charged with child molestation. READ MORE: FROM SKY TO COURT: UNMASKING DRONE VOYEURISM Drone Incident Leads to Alarming Discovery Christopher Jones,…

Haye KestelooJan 20

Police

From Sky to Court: Unmasking Drone Voyeurism

Rhode Island: bodycam footage unveiled confrontation between law enforcement and convicted sex offender allegedly using a drone for voyeuristic

Haye KestelooJul 3

Rhode Island

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.