The full firehose — every story on DroneXL, newest first. Breaking news, deep dives, reviews, and the deals ticker archive.
A thermal-equipped drone helped the Olean Police Department swiftly locate and rescue three kayakers in distress on the Allegheny River in upstate New York. The October 4, 2024 rescue highlights how drone technology is becoming an essential life-saving tool for police and fire departments across the country. The Olean Police Department received a distress call…
Ukrainian drone swarm startup Swarmer has secured $17.9 million in total funding, marking the largest publicly announced investment in a Ukrainian defense technology company since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. The company closed a $15 million Series A round in mid-September 2025, following a $2.9 million seed round in 2023, according to Euromaidan Press.…
South African authorities are investigating how laser range finders manufactured by Pretoria-based Lightware Optoelectronics ended up in Russian Garpiya-A1 suicide drones attacking Ukraine. The discovery adds a new dimension to the growing problem of Western and civilian components being weaponized in Russia’s drone arsenal. This marks the first time an African manufacturer has been linked…
DJI just posted a promotional video showcasing its new Mavic 4 Pro capturing stunning landscapes across the American West—including drone footage from multiple locations where recreational and commercial drone flights are strictly prohibited or severely restricted. The video features imagery from national parks and Navajo tribal lands where drone operations have been banned for over…
Sweden announced Friday it will invest 3.5 billion Swedish kronor ($367 million) in anti-drone defense systems, accelerating deployment by eight years as unidentified drone sightings continue to rattle European aviation and military installations. According to Reuters, the investment comes as drone incursions have forced airport closures from Copenhagen to Munich over the past three weeks,…
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced this week that the agency will vote October 28 on regulations closing two critical loopholes that currently allow Covered List companies to continue operating in the U.S. market. The timing couldn’t be worse for DJI’s rapidly expanding network of shell companies. These aren’t theoretical changes. The proposed rules would prohibit…
Amazon has dropped the price on the DJI Mini 3 drone to its lowest point in a month, with all three bundle options now 20% off. The beginner-friendly drone that stays under the critical 249-gram FAA registration threshold is now available starting at just $335 with Prime delivery by tomorrow. This timing couldn’t be better…
Russia has been accused of deceiving young African women into assembling Shahed-136 kamikaze drones through false promises of hospitality work, according to investigative reports. The women, aged 18 to 22, were recruited to work at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan—a facility repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian air strikes—where they discovered they would be building…
Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response, with approximately 1,500 agencies now operating drone programs by late 2024—a 150% increase since 2018. But as departments deploy increasingly sophisticated surveillance technology capable of monitoring biometric data from hundreds of meters
Drone content creator Jack Towne from Half Chrome has released a detailed comparison between the DJI Mini 5 Pro and Mini 4 Pro and the Skyrover X1, revealing critical differences between the three drones—and confirming what many pilots suspected: all three exceed the crucial 250-gram weight limit. In his latest video, Towne tests both DJI…
Margate, New Jersey-based drone pilot Ron Brown put the DJI Mavic 4 Pro’s latest firmware update through its paces, revealing exactly how the new camera-switching feature performs in real-world conditions. His hands-on test at Lucy the Elephant demonstrates that while the October 2025 update delivers on its promise, the implementation works differently than many pilots…
Antigravity’s A1 drone has earned a coveted spot on TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 list, marking a significant milestone for the Insta360-incubated drone brand before its first unit even ships to customers. The recognition comes just two months after the 8K 360-degree drone was announced in August, validating the company’s bold entry into DJI-dominated…
Yemeni authorities intercepted a massive shipment containing over 3,000 drone-related components and complete manufacturing equipment at the Port of Aden on October 2, 2025, marking one of the largest drone-related seizures in the ongoing Yemen conflict. The 58 containers, weighing approximately 2,500 tons (5.5 million pounds), were discovered during routine customs inspection of a commercial…
Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding on October 10 to jointly produce military drones, marking another major step in Ukraine’s strategy to export its battle-proven drone manufacturing capabilities to NATO allies. The deal positions Ukraine’s defense industry as a technology provider rather than just a recipient of Western aid. The partnership combines…
The Federal Communications Commission announced today that major U.S. online retailers have removed millions of product listings for prohibited Chinese electronics—a move that could preview what’s coming for DJI drones in just 74 days. While today’s FCC action targets telecom equipment and security cameras from Huawei, ZTE, and Hikvision, the enforcement mechanism is identical to…
GoPro has launched their brand new 360 camera, the Max 2, an upgraded version of the original Max released about five years ago. In my latest video, I put it head-to-head against the Insta360 X5 and the DJI Osmo 360 to see which camera delivers the best value for drone pilots and content creators. All…
You know, it seems like just about every other day when you turn on the news or scroll through social media, drones are in the headlines. And most of the time, it’s not for good reasons. Whether it’s battlefield coverage, drones crashing into cranes, or national security debates, there’s so much negativity surrounding our hobby…
Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week that every drone pilot needs to know about. Amazon is resuming operations after two of their drones crashed into a crane, Flock Safety is launching a new system called the Aerodrome drone for automated security, and Phase One has released…
Belgian authorities arrested three suspects in Antwerp today after uncovering a jihadist-inspired plot to assassinate Prime Minister Bart De Wever using drone-mounted explosives, according to federal prosecutors. Police discovered bomb-making materials, metal pellets for shrapnel, and a 3D printer intended to manufacture drone components during raids on four residences. The arrests come just one d
Australia’s aviation authority has officially confirmed that the DJI Mini 5 Pro will be classified as a “small restricted RPA” rather than a sub-250g micro drone, according to correspondence obtained by Adelaide drone operator Corey Roberts of Airworks Pty Ltd. The decision places Australia firmly in line with the United States, Canada, and the United…
A new entry in DJI’s shell company lineup has appeared on Amazon, but U.S. pilots can’t buy it yet. The Skyrover S1 mini drone, distinct from the previously reported Skyrover X1—represents a different strategy from DJI’s rebranding playbook. Rather than cloning existing models, this unreleased drone appears to hybridize the budget-friendly DJI Mini 4K camera…
DJI’s shell company strategy continues expanding with the Skyany X1, a new Amazon-available drone that’s essentially identical to the previously reported Skyrover X1—both rebranded DJI Mini 4 Pro drones manufactured in Malaysia. The discovery, highlighted in a recent video by Half Chrome‘s Jack Towne, reveals how DJI is accelerating its workaround operations as the December…
German defense giant Rheinmetall has accelerated loitering munitions production to full capacity at its Italian facilities, securing over $213 million in orders from eight European countries as the Ukraine war drives unprecedented demand for precision strike drones. The company announced that series production is now operating at “full speed” at two plants in Sardinia operated…
A drone hovering at just 75 feet near San Diego International Airport’s active runway created a dangerous close call with incoming passenger aircraft in late August, with air traffic control recordings revealing confusion about whether the aircraft was authorized police equipment or an illegal operation. The drone incident highlights growing coordination gaps as police drone…
One email with the drone news that matters — DJI, FAA, public safety, and everything in between, straight from the newsroom. No spam, no fluff.
