News, deep dives, and analysis — every Drone Companies story, newest first.
Welcome to your weekly US news update from Pilot Institute. We have three important stories this week that show both the risks and benefits of drone operations. A police drone crashed and injured a child. A thermal drone helped rescue a missing 85-year-old man. And a viral drone show proposal set a new standard for…
Utah engineering firm unveils NDAA-compliant parts marketplace and MOSA-first FPV platform as Pentagon drone orders surge. While defense contractors battle for Blue UAS contracts, a Salt Lake City engineering firm is solving a more fundamental problem: sourcing the thousands of NDAA-compliant components needed to actually build drones at wartime scale. UAS Nexus launched the Drone…
German defense giant Rheinmetall has acquired a significant stake in U.S. drone software leader Auterion, signaling a massive industry shift where hardware manufacturers finally admit that future wars will be fought with code, not just explosives. Rheinmetall, the manufacturer behind the Leopard 2 tank and massive artillery systems, is buying into the “Android for Drones”…
The DJI Avata 360 has secured FCC certification on November 19, 2025, clearing the regulatory hurdle that allows the company to legally sell its groundbreaking 360-degree FPV drone in the United States. But there’s a catch: this approval comes just 34 days before a December 23 deadline that could automatically ban all future DJI product…
The Washington National Guard is getting ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as reported by Military Times and they are treating drones like the new wildcard on the field. Earlier this month, Guard leaders and security officials gathered at Seattle’s Lumen Field to simulate drone attacks during a live match. The scenario was part…
French tethered drone manufacturer Elistair has unveiled a new configuration of its Khronos system that combines persistent surveillance with tactical communications in a single platform, addressing one of modern warfare’s most persistent logistics headaches. The Khronos Dual Payload debuted at Milipol 2025, the international homeland security trade show in Paris running November 18-21, integratin
The playbook American lawmakers perfected against DJI drones is crossing the Atlantic. The UK Ministry of Defence is considering a blanket ban on Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles for military personnel, citing surveillance concerns over built-in cameras and microphones—the exact same argument U.S. officials used to justify restrictions on Chinese drones despite years of failing to produce…
The Asheville Police Department’s drone unit flew what they claim is the largest American flag ever carried by a drone at an NFL stadium during the Carolina Panthers’ first responders’ day on November 9, 2025, according to local reports. The heavy-lift drone carried a massive 20-by-30-foot American flag over Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte…
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