Department of Defense
Hegseth Orders Four-Star Drone Command, Congress Has To Build It
Hegseth ordered a four-star Autonomous Warfare Command for Oct. 1, 2027. The memo names no commander, no budget, and needs a law Congress hasn't passed.
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The full firehose — every story on DroneXL, newest first. Breaking news, deep dives, reviews, and the deals ticker archive.
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Amazon
Amazon Already Raised Its Texas Drones. 'Drone Warriors' Want Higher
Richardson's Drone Warriors told TODAY they want Amazon's MK30 drones flying higher. Amazon already raised them to 225 feet in February.
DHS addendum
DHS Left DJI's Scores Out of Its Blue UAS Report. Here They Are
A DHS addendum marked For Official Use Only scores DJI's Matrice 4T at 4.6 and Matrice 30T at 4.3 at Hudson Yards, against 3.7 for the Skydio X10D.
WHOLE BLOOD
Hillsborough Blood Drones Launch in October, Flown From Sarasota
Hillsborough County approved its whole blood drone program for October. ArcherFRS pilots in Sarasota fly it, and no announcement says what it costs.
Department of Defense
Neros Wins $100M Pentagon Order, Plus 800 Drones Rivals Didn't Deliver
Neros says Gauntlet II brought a 14,000-drone order worth over $100 million, plus 800 Gauntlet I drones taken from rivals that missed their deadline.
Department of Defense
Amprius Gets $75M Pentagon Drone Battery Grant, Mostly Unfunded
Amprius will turn a U.S. EV battery line into a 12-million-cell drone factory. Its filing shows $22 million of the $75 million grant is funded so far.
DJI
DJI Avata 360 Can't Fly Acro. An FPV Pilot Still Calls It Enough
FPV pilot Kai Vertigoh tested the DJI Avata 360 in five jobs and says it can replace several drones for most buyers, despite no acro mode.
DoorDash Air
DoorDash Air Drone Lands Chipotle and Popeyes, but No Payload Number
DoorDash unveiled its six-rotor DoorDash Air drone and a Northern California pilot with Chipotle and Popeyes. It still hasn't published a payload weight.
Amazon
Tallahassee Commissioner Urged Amazon Drone Rules. Florida Law Says No
A Tallahassee commissioner said Amazon's drones need regulating. The city attorney says Florida law bars it. Amazon shows its MK30 there October 20.
Department of Defense
Pentagon Opens $450M Attack-Drone Round With A 400-Drone Deadline
The Pentagon's Drone Dominance Program opened Phase 3 with $450 million for 60,000 attack drones, but its listed unit prices cover at most $300 million.
Amazon
Amazon Drone Hub Faces Pause Call From Lawmakers as State Sues FAA
Three Massachusetts lawmakers ask Amazon to pause its Westborough drone hub over hours, routes and flight counts. The state sued the FAA the day before.
United States
Lodi NJ Drone Ban Is Preempted, Judge Rules, But Pilot Gets No Order
A federal judge held Lodi's 400-foot drone ban preempted by FAA authority, then denied the hobbyist a TRO because the borough says he isn't in violation.
Drone Delivery
FAA Sued by 15 States Over Drone Delivery Clearance Amazon Runs On
Fifteen states and Harris County petitioned the Second Circuit on September 28 to set aside the FAA's nationwide drone delivery environmental finding.
Matternet
Matternet M3 Drone Lifts 11 Pounds, Has No FAA Certificate Yet
Matternet unveiled M3, an 11-pound, 10-mile autonomous delivery platform with Dave's Hot Chicken and Apian as launch partners, targeting late 2027 service.
Amazon
Amazon Told Pflugerville Drones Take No Images. Its Own Site Disagrees
Amazon told Pflugerville's council on Sept. 22 its MK30 drones take no pictures. Amazon's Prime Air operations page says people near deliveries may be recorded.
Amazon
North Haven Amazon Drones: How to File With CT DEEP Before Oct. 1
Connecticut DEEP takes comment on Amazon's North Haven drone hub through Oct. 1. What DEEP can rule on, what it can't, and where to send it.
Drone Delivery
Northglenn Drafts Colorado's First Drone Rules. Wing Can Fly In Anyway
Northglenn's Walmart-Wing ordinance sets 200-foot buffers and a 65 dB cap for the launch pad. The city's own memo says a hub next door can still deliver.
Russia
Russia's Geran-4 Runs On A $25,000 Hobby Jet, Texas Instruments Chips
RFE/RL took apart a Geran-4 Seeker: a $25,000 Chinese hobby turbojet, two SIM cards, a mesh modem, Texas Instruments chips. Russia builds 3,000 a month.
DSPA
DSPA Breaks Charter to Take DHS Blue UAS Report to Congress
DSPA's Vic Moss asks pilots to call Congress over DHS's Blue UAS test: name an agency to test every drone's security, stop banning by country of origin.
Amazon
Amazon Faces 92% Opposition in Westborough Drone Survey, Calls Urged
An independent survey of 853 Westborough-area residents finds 92% oppose Amazon's Prime Air hub. Organizers now have a phone script for legislators.
Amazon
Amazon Won't Say When Tracy Drones Fly. It Said Within a Month
Amazon told the LA Times Tracy drone deliveries would start within a month. Asked for a date by the Stockton Record, it gave none. The month is nearly up.
Ukraine
Ukraine Air-Drops Kamikaze Robots 12 Miles Behind Russian Lines
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps flies explosive ground robots over the front under heavy bomber drones, and credits the tactic with 48 square miles retaken.
Leak
DJI Matrice 5TD Surfaces In China Filing, 750 g Heavier Than 4TD
A Chinese drone-registration entry names the DJI Matrice 5TD at 2.6 kg, and a leaked render prints the name. The dock drone gains 750 g on the Matrice 4TD.
Industry
Redfin Just Handed Drone Pilots a Client Checklist. Use It
Redfin tells home sellers how to prep for a drone shoot. Here is the checklist pilots should send clients, with photos by Billy Kyle and Ken Dono.
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