US Government

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

1,428

Articles

141

Beats covered

Reporters on beat

Oct 6

Last updated

Amazon

Amazon Tells Packed Westborough Room Its Drones Are Coming Anyway

Hundreds packed Amazon's Prime Air forum in Westborough, Mass. No resident spoke in favor. Amazon says its drones are coming anyway, pending approvals.

Haye KestelooSep 24

Amazon

Amazon Preps Tallahassee Drone Hub. Florida Law Gives City Little Say

Amazon is hiring Prime Air drone handlers in Tallahassee and a drone unit is filed for its warehouse lot. Florida law keeps the city out of the flights.

Haye KestelooSep 23

Two hands hold a sealed DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo Plus box, showing the folded drone and DJI RC 2 controller, on a gray wood table

H.R. 10304

House Bill Moves FAA Drone Rules From The Box To Your First Power-On

H.R. 10304 would make drone makers show new pilots an FAA-defined safety statement at first activation and require a sign-off, replacing a 2016 law.

Haye KestelooSep 23

Five people stand behind a table of quadcopter drones and laptops, between a Blue Arrow banner and a KEF Robotics banner

Department of Defense

Orqa, KEF And Blue Arrow Beat GPS Jamming In Front Of Green Berets

Orqa drones running KEF Robotics navigation and Blue Arrow's RII software flew recon and payload missions under GPS and radio jamming in Alabama.

Haye KestelooSep 23

Zipline

Zipline Promises Ivory Coast A 300% Return, Not What It Costs

Côte d'Ivoire approved an eight-year Zipline deal for 10 drone hubs serving 12 million people, backed by a $150M US award. The price is unpublished.

Haye KestelooSep 22

Two hands holding open the shell of a grey quadcopter on a blue mat, exposing the main circuit board, GPS patch antenna and internal modules

COVERED LIST

FCC Bars DJI Chips From New US-Built Drones on October 13

The FCC's drone ban now reaches inside the airframe. From October 13, no new US-built drone can be authorized with a DJI-made logic-bearing part.

Haye KestelooSep 21

Gray drone wing and fuselage lying across the bow of a center-console fishing boat while two men look back from the helm

Department of Defense

Air Force Loses Shahed Clone Off Eglin, Fishing Charter Reels It In

A Pensacola charter hauled a US Air Force Shahed-136 clone out of the Gulf near Eglin. The base confirms a test article went down but won't name it.

Haye KestelooSep 21

Amazon

Amazon Wants Drones Over 6 Massachusetts Towns. Not All Have Been Told

Amazon wants a Westborough, Mass., drone pad serving six towns within 7.5 miles. Shrewsbury heard via police, Southborough not at all. Forum Sept. 23.

Haye KestelooSep 21

US Government

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.