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First Responders

Police, fire, and search-and-rescue teams putting drones to work when minutes matter.

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DJI Mini 4 Pro shown from the top with the battery partly ejected.
Skydio

FCC Banned Foreign Drone Batteries, But China Makes 99% of Them

Yesterday, I wrote about the FCC’s sweeping ban on all foreign-made drones and critical components. Today, the New York Times published an article that exposes a fundamental problem with the administration’s “American drone dominance” strategy: the batteries don’t exist. The FCC’s National Security Determination explicitly lists “batteries and battery management systems” as covered critical compon

DJI Responds to Court Ruling, Denies Military Ties Despite Pentagon Designation - Trump Administration Targets Chinese Drone Imports in September Crackdown
DJI

FCC Bans All Foreign And DJI Drones: America Just Made Itself Weaker, Not Safer

We’ve been tracking the December 23 deadline for months, expecting DJI to land on the FCC’s Covered List through bureaucratic default. What the FCC actually did today goes far beyond anything we predicted. They didn’t just ban DJI. They banned all foreign-made drones and critical components. Every single one. And they did it in the…

Border Patrol Bets on Tiny Drones for Big Sky Surveillance
Search & Rescue

Border Patrol Bets on Tiny Drones for Big Sky Surveillance

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is going small, very small, when it comes to drones. Instead of relying only on large, expensive aircraft, CBP is now deploying palm sized and backpack friendly drones to watch massive stretches of border terrain. Think less Predator drone, more “DJI Mini with a government ID badge.” These small unmanned…

Paladin Drones Lawsuit: Ex-VP Accused of Sabotaging $9M Funding Round
Paladin Drones

Paladin Drones Says Former VP Tried to ‘Plunder’ Company After Failed Power Grab

We’ve been tracking Paladin Drones’ rapid expansion across police and fire departments for over a year, but court documents filed in late October allege explosive internal turmoil at the Y Combinator-backed emergency response drone company, including accusations of corporate sabotage, an attempted leadership coup, and shouting matches between executives. According to Law360, Houston-based Paladin

Antigravity A1 First Impressions: This Invisible Drone Creates an Eye in the Sky
DJI

NDAA 2026: Local Police to Gain New Powers to Take Down Your Drone

We’ve tracked counter-drone legislation for years, but the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) changes everything for every drone pilot in America. The bill passed the House 312-112 on December 10 and awaits final Senate action this week before President Trump’s expected signature. For the first time, it creates a federal framework allowing certain…

Drone Busts Chicago Railyard Burglary Before Coffee Time
Police

Drone Busts Chicago Railyard Burglary Before Coffee Time

Somewhere above a quiet Chicago railyard, a drone was doing its job, watching patiently, humming softly, and absolutely not impressed by what it was about to see. Early in the morning on December 5, while most of the city was asleep and a few insomniacs were still debating late night snacks, a railroad operated drone…

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