News, deep dives, and analysis — every Drone Companies story, newest first.
While DJI isn’t technically banned in the United States, the drones they’ve been releasing lately, like the DJI Mini 5 Pro or the Mavic 4 Pro drone, have been incredibly difficult to get. So, if you’re wanting to buy a DJI drone today, especially the newer ones like the Mini 5 Pro—which I’m borrowing from…
The Pentagon’s ambitious Replicator Program—designed to deploy thousands of AI-enabled drones against China in a potential Taiwan conflict—has fallen significantly behind schedule due to widespread technical failures and procurement missteps. The Wall Street Journal reported September 26 that the troubled program has been transferred to a new Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) in a bid…
German defense AI startup Helsing has unveiled its autonomous combat drone “CA-1 Europa,” marking a significant milestone in Europe’s push toward next-generation unmanned warfare systems. The four-tonne aircraft was presented at a factory outside Munich on September 25, with the company targeting a first flight in 2027. This development signals Europe’s growing ambition to compete…
Iran’s low-cost Shahed-136 drone has sparked an international arms race, with militaries worldwide scrambling to develop copycat versions of the weapon that has proven devastatingly effective in Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The Iranian-designed drone, costing just tens of thousands of dollars and capable of flying over 1,000 miles, has fundamentally changed…
FCC filings reveal Jovistar Inc., a newly identified, suspected DJI shell company, has submitted documents for an unmanned aircraft with specifications closely matching the DJI Mini 5 Pro, complete with LiDAR capability that could circumvent ongoing U.S. import restrictions. READ MORE: DJI FACES DECEMBER BAN DEADLINE AS POLITICAL PRESSURE SPAWNS PROXY COMPANY NETWORK Jovistar’s business…
DJI suffered a comprehensive legal defeat on September 26, 2025, when US District Judge Paul Friedman rejected the Chinese drone giant’s challenge to its Pentagon “Chinese Military Company” designation, dealing a crushing blow to the world’s dominant drone manufacturer despite the court’s acknowledgment that the Defense Department’s evidence wasn’t “bulletproof,” reports Reuters. The 49-page rulin
Mini 5 Pro. Let's that sink in. Bliss. Pure bliss and joy. If I had to choose words for what I felt when I took off and looked at my screen, those would
Security researcher uncovers Fikaxo, DJI’s newest proxy company as Chinese drone maker’s shell network adapts to escalating US restrictions through automated frequency monitoring A new DJI shell company called Fikaxo Technology Inc. has been discovered through sophisticated frequency analysis, representing the latest evolution in a growing network of proxy companies designed to circumvent US restr
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