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FBI Seeks AI-Powered Surveillance Drones With Facial Recognition As Police Departments Rapidly Expand Warrantless Aerial Monitoring
The FBI is actively seeking to equip surveillance drones with artificial intelligence capabilities including facial recognition, license plate readers, and weapon detection systems, according to federal procurement documents published by The Intercept Thursday. The move comes as approximately 1,500 US…
Dutch Military Fires on Drones Over NATO Air Base as European Incursions Escalate
The Dutch military fired weapons at unidentified drones flying over Volkel Air Base on Friday night, marking a significant escalation in Europe’s response to mysterious aircraft incursions over NATO facilities, Reuters reported. Security personnel at the southeastern Netherlands base spotted…
No Audit, No Agency, No Due Process: DJI Reveals Why December 23 Ban Will Happen By Default
DJI published its most comprehensive public statement addressing the looming U.S. market ban, confirming that no federal agency has begun the security audit mandated by Congress—despite the company requesting the review nine months ago. With just 30 days until the…
Omaha PD Launch Nebraska’s First DFR Drone Program
As First Alert 6 reports, the Omaha Police Department is taking a big step forward today with the official launch of Nebraska’s first Drones as First Responders program and city leaders are ready to show how drones will help officers…
Why the “Pain” of a DJI Drone Ban Means Lives Lost, Not Just Lost Profits
In a recent Bloomberg Opinion piece, columnist Thomas Black argues that the forced transition from Chinese-made drones to American alternatives is a “necessary pain” required to secure our national supply chain. He frames this transition as a messy spreadsheet calculation,…
Florida’s DJI Drone Ban: A $200 Million Disaster With No Evidence
Florida destroyed $200 million in functional public safety drones citing Chinese espionage threats, provided only $25 million for inferior replacements that catch fire and fall from the sky, and never published the security analysis that was supposed to justify it…
France Races Year-End Deadline For Ukraine Drone Deals As UK And Germany Dominate Funding
French drone manufacturers are scrambling to finalize co-production agreements with Ukraine before 2025 ends, but face stiff competition from Britain and Germany, which have already established direct funding channels and secured battlefield-proven partnerships. The November 17 meeting between Presidents Emmanuel…
Florida Turns Banned Chinese Drones Into Military Target Practice for Counter-Drone Training
More than 500 Chinese-made drones confiscated under Florida’s controversial 2023 ban are getting a second (short) life as target practice for US Special Operations Command, according to Bloomberg News. The quadcopters, originally headed for the incinerator, will instead be shot…
NYPD Drone Flights Surge 3,200% as Watchdog Warns of Unchecked Surveillance
The New York Police Department conducted 6,546 drone flights in the first six months of 2025, representing a 3,200% increase since 2022, according to a new report by civil rights watchdog Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.). The explosive growth raises…
Police Drone Injures Child in Kent Crash, Wisconsin Deputies Save Missing Man with Thermal Drone
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…
UAS Nexus Launches Drone Syndicate To Solve Blue UAS Component Supply Chaos
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…
Rheinmetall Bets Big on Code: Major Stake in Auterion Signals Shift to Software-Defined Warfare
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…