US Government · FAA
Barksdale Indictment Alleges DJI Air 3 Flights After the Incursions
A man arrested in Michigan is charged with flying an unregistered DJI Air 3 around Barksdale AFB on March 22 to 26. One count carries up to three years.
US Government
Washington and the drone industry: legislation, procurement, security reviews, and agency policy beyond the FAA.
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US government drone policy coverage tracks the federal agencies actually setting the rules, separately from the state and local coverage found elsewhere on the site, because a Congressional bill and a city drone permit move on entirely different tracks.
The FAA generates the largest volume of coverage, from rulemaking to the 1,000-plus agencies now cleared for Drone as First Responder flights. The FCC has become just as consequential lately through certification, not flight rules: it functions as a chokepoint for any drone sold in the US, which is how DJI models have ended up blocked without a direct FAA ban attached.
Defense spending moves the largest dollar amounts of anything covered here. The Pentagon committed $1.3 billion to drones in two days, split between counter-drone systems and domestic parts manufacturing, and the White House summoned 40 drone companies as a tariff deadline and Beijing loomed, pulling industry directly into a policy meeting usually reserved for agency staff. The Department of Defense desk tracks these contracts as they land.
NASA, the Department of Homeland Security and FCC filings round out the federal picture. Every US government drone story is in the feed below.
Key facts
- What this covers
- Federal drone policy and spending: FAA rules, defense contracts, FCC certification, and White House and Congressional action
- Largest sub-desk
- FAA, covering rulemaking, waivers and DFR approvals, followed by the Department of Defense
- The current flashpoint
- DJI's FCC certification status and the tariffs tied to it, moving fast enough to change week to week
Start here
- White House Summons 40 Drone Companies As Tariff Deadline And Beijing Loom — August 20, 2026
- Pentagon Commits $1.3 Billion To Drones In Two Days: $500 Million To Shoot Them Down, $820 Million To Build Parts America Doesn't Make — August 2, 2026
- FAA Cleared Over 1,000 Agencies for Drone First Responder Flights in 10 Months, and the Full List Is Now Public — August 7, 2026
Last updated October 24, 2026 — the feed below updates with every new story.
Legal
New York's Hobby Drone Exemption Stops Just Short of DJI's Mini 5 Pro
New York made flying near schools and police stations a misdemeanor. Part 107 pilots are exempt; hobby drones over 0.55 pounds are not.
Louisiana
Drone Meth Drop in a Fake Crow Earns Texas Woman 70 Months in Prison
A Texas woman got 70 months in a drone plot that sent a crow-shaped meth package to USP Pollock. A Florida man found at a nearby Airbnb got 10 years.
Deal
DJI Neo Is $169 on Amazon, $30 Off List but $30 Over Its Prime Low
The DJI Neo is back at $169 on Amazon, $30 above its October Prime price, while DJI's own store is sold out. Check the price history before you buy.
Pilot Institute
Spray Drone Group Seeks FCC Carve-Out as Westborough Votes to Ban Pads
Greg Reverdiau: spray drone sales fell 59% as dealers seek an FCC carve-out, Pentagon letters join DJI's record, Phantom 4 Pro V2 support ends Oct. 31.
COVERED LIST
FCC Catches Huawei Surveillance Chips in Its First Parts Ban Case
The FCC blocked a dash cam and a wireless video transmitter over HiSilicon chips, the first case under the rule that also bars DJI boards from new drones.
Amazon
MassDOT Says Amazon Hasn't Applied for the Drone Pad Permit It Needs
MassDOT told Amazon it has no request to review its Westborough drone pad, which needs a state certificate and a public hearing before any flights.
DFR
Evolver DFR Offers Police a Parrot Drone and Dock With No Subscription
Drone Nerds' Evolver DFR sells police a Parrot ANAFI UKR GOV, a DBOX dock and SkyfireAI software on one purchase order, with no recurring subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Which federal agency generates the most drone news?
The FAA, by a wide margin, covering everything from Drone as First Responder waivers to airspace rulemaking. The FCC has become the second-most consequential agency recently through its certification decisions affecting DJI specifically.
How is the FCC involved in drone policy if it isn't an aviation regulator?
Through equipment certification. Any drone sold in the US needs FCC authorization for its radio components, which has made FCC certification labs and their guidance on drone screening a real chokepoint, blocking new DJI models even without a direct FAA flight ban.
Is defense spending on drones covered here or just civilian policy?
Both. The Department of Defense desk covers major contracts and programs, such as the Pentagon committing $1.3 billion to drones in two days, alongside the civilian rulemaking coming out of the FAA and FCC, because the two increasingly move together on China-related restrictions.
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