US Government

Washington and the drone industry: legislation, procurement, security reviews, and agency policy beyond the FAA.

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149

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Reporters on beat

Nov 11

Last updated

A U.S. Army soldier in camouflage and sunglasses stands on the bank of a river with a black radio-frequency jammer and handheld drone detector mounted on his chest, green brush on the far bank.

Counter-Drone

DHS Pact Gives FAA Counter-Drone Review as Hegseth Calls Lasers Safe

DHS and four departments gave the FAA a safety review of new counter-drone systems, the day FEMA's chief was billed to keynote a drone grant forum.

Haye KestelooNov 9

Two drone pilots in white hard hats and yellow safety vests on a rooftop solar array, one holding a tablet and the other a drone controller, with snow-capped mountains behind them

Drone Software

AirData Syncs Pilot Institute Training Records As Part 108 Nears

AirData now imports Pilot Institute certificates and skills on every plan, free included, as the FAA's Part 108 proposal asks for training records.

Haye KestelooNov 9

Skydio

Skydio Controller 2 Ships: Bigger Screen, More Runtime, 395 g Heavier

Skydio Controller 2 ships with new X10 and R10 drones: a 7-inch 2,000-nit screen, a swappable 5G SIM, and 395 grams more weight.

Haye KestelooNov 8

Two B-52H Stratofortress bombers with LA tail codes taxiing on the flight line at Barksdale Air Force Base

Department of Homeland Security

Iran Never Sent Drones to California. The Barksdale Case Is Still Open

The White House denied the FBI's Iran drone bulletin within a day. Eight months on, nobody has said who flew drones over Barksdale's B-52 flight line.

Haye KestelooNov 8

An olive-green Army Infantry Squad Vehicle with a boxy laser turret and two sensor pods on its roll cage parked on gravel in front of a rust-colored border wall under a blue sky, a soldier seated inside.

Department of Defense

Pentagon Counts 300 Border Drone Defeats. Two Were Publicly Identified

The Pentagon says it defeated 300 drones on the US-Mexico border in 2026. The only two targets ever made public were party balloons and a CBP drone.

Haye KestelooNov 8

Indiana

Indiana FAA Drone Test Site Plans Kinetic Tests Under A Civil Program

Purdue's Windracers ULTRA opened Indiana's FAA test site with a flood-relief drop. Its director says kinetic and counter-UAS tests set it apart.

Haye KestelooNov 8

A dark DJI Matrice police drone hovering in the sky above a Texas city, with mountains and a downtown skyline in the background

Counter-Drone

Houston Approves Counter-Drone Bid on Consent, Use Rules Unfinished

Houston City Council passed its FY2027 FEMA counter-drone grant bid on the consent agenda, untagged. The use policy is still being written.

Haye KestelooNov 6

DJI Mavic 4 Pro hovering between pine trees with its Hasselblad gimbal camera facing forward

OPINION

DJI Ban Outlasts the Midterms: Democrats Can't Lift It Before 2029

Democrats won the House and Senate on November 3. DJI's FCC ban rests on a law Biden signed, a Republican FCC through 2028 and a Trump veto until 2029.

Haye KestelooNov 6

US Government

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