Drone News Update

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have five stories for you this week; the FAA dropped Section 2209 NPRM, the public comment window is closing on DJI's FCC Covered List challenge, a record-breaking 218 drone incursions over wildfires last year, ACSL is Partnering with Draganfly, and today marks 7 years of uninterrupted drone news!

First up this week, the FAA has finally filed its long-overdue Section 2209 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM. This opens a 60-day comment window that will determine how fixed-site facilities can apply for permanent drone restrictions over their property. The 181-page rule creates a new 14 CFR Part 74 framework with two tiers: a Standard Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction and a Special UAFR. The FAA proposes limiting eligibility to 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which could encompass more than 9,000 eligible facilities. The proposed rule includes a transit lane for commercial operators! Drones operating under Parts 91, 107, 108, 135, and 137 will be allowed to transit a Standard UAFR if they broadcast Remote ID, transit in the shortest practicable time, and notify the facility. Unfortunately, recreational flyers are not on that list. This rule explicitly does NOT grant facility operators counter-drone authority, such as jamming or drone capture. It is strictly an airspace designation. Next, the deadline to submit public comments on the FCC petition regarding DJI's placement on the Covered List is rapidly approaching on May 11, 2026. DJI is challenging the FCC's December 2025 decision that effectively blocks the authorization of new affected products for sale or import into the United States. DJI has pursued legal action in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. So far, more than 460 comments have been submitted, and the Department of Defense has recently urged the FCC to reject DJI's petition.Third up, the U.S. Forest Service reported a staggering 218 drone sightings over active wildfires in 2025. Most of these happened during the Eaton and Palisades, which includes the one on January 9, 2025 where a privately flown drone actually collided with a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper aircraft, punching a 3-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. Remember, DJI removed mandatory geofencing enforcement from its consumer drones in early 2025, shifting to advisory warnings. Check for TFRs on tfr.faa.gov.Next up, Draganfly Inc. and ACSL signed an exclusive master distributor agreement on May 7, 2026, making Draganfly the sole Canadian distributor of ACSL's drone technology. The agreement also includes technical integration work between the two companies' platforms. The initial product offering is the ACSL SOTEN. Under the integration component of the agreement, Draganfly's Apex and Commander 3XL drones will be made compatible with SOTEN's swappable payloads and the TAITEN ground control station, allowing operators to mix components across both manufacturers' systems. SOTEN joins Draganfly's existing lineup of Apex, Commander 3XL, and Heavy Lift platforms.And last up, Today marks 7 years of uninterrupted drone news! We’ve covered a ton of ground since we started, with over 460,000 students, over a million enrollments, including 148,000 Part 107 students, 61,000 free stickers, which will continue to be free thanks to community donations, over 28,000 active members in our community, over 365,000 free TRUST certificates issued, and over 19,000 WINGS credits issued on the FAASafety platform. Thank you for your support! We’ll see you on Monday for the live and on post flight in the premium community!https://dronelife.com/2026/05/05/public-comment-window-closing-fcc-weighs-dji-challenge-to-covered-list-ruling/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/01/218-wildfire-drone/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/05/faa-section-2209-nprm-drops/https://acsl-usa.com/https://draganfly.com/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, We have three stories for you this week: DJI reveals that 25 unreleased products are stuck in regulatory limbo, Reliable Robotics raises 160 million dollars for autonomous cargo flights, and Starlight Aerial Productions makes history at Sun N Fun. Let's get to it.

First up this week, DJI has filed a sharply worded brief in its Ninth Circuit court fight with the FCC, and they finally put specific numbers on how much the current ban is hurting their pipeline. According to the filing, the FCC has already voided authorizations for 14 existing products, which includes five drones and nine other products that are currently unreleased, and 25 planned product launches for 2026… This means a total of 39 DJI projects won’t hit the market this year due to the FCC ban. According to DJI, this will cause a 1.56 billion dollar loss this calendar year alone. DJI's legal team filed a briefing, arguing that the FCC is trying to run out the clock by not making a formal decision. They are also making a major constitutional argument, claiming that FCC staff shouldn't have the power to ban entire product categories without a full Commission vote and judicial review. DJI is asking the court for a six-month pause on the ban to force the FCC to make a formal decision and issue a final ruling. This is obviously a massive deal for our drone industry, specifically consumers, public safety, and even some enterprise. We will keep a close eye on how the court responds.Next up, Reliable Robotics has closed a 160 million dollar funding round, bringing the company's valuation to nearly 1 billion dollars. The company, led by a former SpaceX engineer, is trying to certify an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan under Part 23 airworthiness rules. Instead of building a brand new drone from scratch, Reliable's system retrofits an already-certified Cessna 208 with a continuous autopilot that handles taxi, takeoff, cruise, and landing, all while a ground operator monitors the flight. They actually flew a Cessna with no one on board for 12 minutes back in November 2023. Now, they are planning to run autonomous cargo routes between airports in New Mexico and Colorado starting this summer.
This is a huge step for large Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations. By putting autonomy into an airframe the FAA already knows and trusts, they are cutting a clear pathway for autonomous commercial cargo. If they actually start moving paying freight in US-controlled airspace this summer, that will be another major jump forward, and will set a massive precedent for every commercial operator out there. Last up, Starlight Aerial Productions and the Red Bull Air Force, staged what they describe as a first in airshow history: three people in wing suits flying through an illuminated drone formation at approximately 2,000 feet AGL during the night show. The demonstration was part of the event's "Red, White & Blue at 52" theme, marking both the 52nd annual expo and the 250th anniversary of the United States. The performance required months of planning, safety validation, and rehearsals coordinated among the FAA, Starlight, and the Red Bull Air Force to integrate crewed human flight with unmanned aerial systems in a live audience setting. The drone formation used American-made Lumenier Arora drones and was choreographed to create a three-dimensional lighted gateway timed to the wingsuiters' flight paths. And let me tell you, it was a great show and super cool to see the wing suits fly through the drone show! Be sure to join us in the Premium Community for Post flight, where we share our opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube, and on Monday for the live! We’ll see you next week! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/reliable-robotics-160m-nimble-partners-faa-certification/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/22/dji-ninth-circuit-opposition-brief-fcc-ban-1-56-billion/https://starlightdroneshows.com/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have four stories for you this week: The FAA launches the DETER program, pricing and specs leak for the new DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1, DJI releases the massive FlyCart 200 and T200 heavy-lift drones, and SiFly shares aircraft location on ADS-B Exchange. Let's get to it.

And first up this week, the FAA has announced a new drone enforcement program called DETER, which stands for Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response. This went into effect on April 17th. Under this program, first-time individual violators can get reduced civil penalties or shorter certificate suspensions, but there is a catch. You have to admit liability and completely surrender your right to appeal. If you get a formal notice of violation in the mail, you have just 10 days to sign the acknowledgment, pay the fine, and mail in your Part 107 certificate if you have one. By signing, you waive all your rights to contest the case later. Next up, we have some major leaks regarding the DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1, which reportedly surfaced on an Italian retailer's website just days before their official launch. The entry-level Lito 1 targets the sub-250 gram beginner segment. It features a 1/2-inch sensor that shoots 48-megapixel stills, 4K video, and has a flight time of up to 36 minutes. It also includes omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which is amazing for a drone listed at roughly 400 US dollars. The Lito X1, which steps it up to a 1/1.3-inch sensor for better low-light performance. The really big news here is that the X1 includes forward-facing LIDAR for obstacle avoidance. The leaked price for the X1 with the standard RC-N3 controller is around 500 dollars.DJI has also quietly released two massive new heavy-lift drones in the Chinese market: the DJI FlyCart 200 and the DJI T200. Both drones share the same core airframe and can carry a maximum single-unit payload of 200 kilograms, or about 440 pounds. But it gets crazier, because they support multi-drone collaborative lifting. Two drones can link up to carry up to 360 kilograms, or 794 pounds. And the FlyCart 200 can actually coordinate four drones together to lift up to 600 kilograms, which is over 1,300 pounds! Other features include an 11-sensor intelligent safety system, dual PSDK interfaces, and use the O4 transmission system with a stable connectivity range of up to 40 kilometers, or about 25 miles. The maximum flight range with no load is 36 kilometers. The FlyCart 200 is designed for industrial logistics and construction, with prices starting around 19,700 dollars. The T200 is tailored specifically for agriculture, limited to dual-drone coordination, and starts at a lower price point of about 14,700 dollars. SiFly Aviation and ADS-B Exchange announced a partnership that integrates SiFly's cloud-connected Q12 drones into ADS-B Exchange's live airspace displays. The collaboration aims to provide a unified view of both crewed and uncrewed aircraft operating in shared airspace, a step the companies describe as supporting scalable Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) operations and the broader integration of unmanned aircraft systems into national airspace. Unlike most crewed aircraft, which broadcast ADS-B signals through onboard radios, the Q12 transmits real-time telemetry through a secure cloud connection, which is then surfaced within ADS-B Exchange's airspace views alongside traditional aircraft activity. That’s all for this week, we’ll see you in the premium community for post flight where we share our opinions and on Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/dji-lito-1-x1-italian-retailer-pricing-leak/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/dji-flycart-200-t200-drones-200kg-payload/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/19/faa-deter-drone-enforcement-program/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sifly-and-ads-b-exchange-debut-first-of-its-kind-shared-airspace-awareness-across-crewed-and-uncrewed-aircraft-302748126.html

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you this week, the Pentagon cites classified intelligence to oppose DJI's FCC petition, the FAA clears the military to use anti-drone lasers in U.S. airspace, and DJI officially teases the new Lito drone launch. Let's get to it.

First up this week, the Department of Defense has officially filed a memo with the FCC opposing DJI's petition to be removed from the agency's Covered List. The Pentagon stated that their national security decision wasn't just based on public supply chain concerns, but actually relied on both classified and unclassified intelligence. They even submitted a classified document to Congress on April 3rd. DJI has been fighting this on three different legal fronts, including a Ninth Circuit petition and a D.C. Circuit appeal. But this classified intelligence creates a massive hurdle. How do you defend yourself against evidence you aren't allowed to see? Meanwhile, the FCC is pushing forward with new rules to support domestic drone manufacturing under the "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" initiative. They recently gave conditional approvals to four non-Chinese drone systems; all enterprise models. Next up, the FAA has officially given the U.S. military clearance to use high-energy anti-drone lasers in U.S. airspace. This comes after a tense two-month standoff that actually shut down commercial flights over the Texas-Mexico border twice. Back in February, Customs and Border Protection used a Pentagon-owned laser to target what turned out to be metallic balloons. The FAA immediately closed all airspace within a 10-nautical-mile radius of El Paso from the surface up to 18,000 feet. The White House eventually had to step in to lift the shutdown. Then, in a crazy friendly-fire incident on February 26th, soldiers used the same laser to shoot down a drone over Texas. It turns out, the drone belonged to CBP, and it reportedly cost about 30 million dollars! After these incidents, the FAA and Pentagon ran a live test at the White Sands Missile Range. During the test, a commercial aircraft drifted into the laser's tracking angle, and the system's automatic safety shutoff immediately powered the laser down before it could fire. Because of that successful safety feature, the FAA determined the lasers do not present an increased risk to the flying public. If you are flying manned or unmanned aircraft near the southern border, pay attention, because the FAA will be issuing an advisory about increased anti-drone laser activity. And finally this week, after months of leaks, DJI has officially teased a new drone launch for April 23rd. The teaser uses the tagline "Just Fly" and confirms the Lito name with hashtags for the DJI Lito and Lito X1. Now let's talk about the rumored specs. We are reportedly expecting two models, and we’re thinking this will replace the Mini series as the entry level drone. The entry-level Lito 1 is reported to be a sub-250-gram drone with 22 gigabytes of internal storage and a price tag around $330. The higher-end Lito X1 is rumored to have 42 gigabytes of storage and cost around $759. Both drones are expected to feature multi-band connectivity across 2.4, 5.2, and 5.8 gigahertz, along with Wi-Fi 6. Flight times are rumored to be around 30 minutes on the standard battery, pushing up to 50 minutes with a heavier plus battery that will put you over that 250-gram limit. The Lito X1's FCC filing also mentions an "SDR Transmission 2 Transceiver," which has people speculating about O5-class transmission performance. Alright, that’s it for this week, no Post Flight or Live, but if you’re in the Lakeland Florida area, be sure to stop by Sun N Fun to meet the team on Saturday or Sunday! `https://dronexl.co/2026/04/11/faa-clears-military-use-anti-drone-lasers/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/11/pentagon-dod-classified-intelligence-dji-fcc-covered-list-opposition/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/14/dji-teases-lito-drone-launch-for-april-23/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, a major confirms nobody is replacing DJI in the consumer market, the FCC opens public comments on drone spectrum reforms, and Oregon tells the FCC to build drone test sites in the mountains.

First up this week, a major report from The Verge confirms what we have been saying for months: nobody is coming to save the consumer drone market. According to the report, massive defense contracts have absorbed almost every American company that might have built affordable consumer drones. For example, Skydio confirmed they will not return to the consumer market, and the U.S. Army recently ordered $52 million worth of their X10D tactical drones. Why build a $500 consumer drone when the Pentagon is spending millions? We did see the Antigravity A1 hit the market recently, which is an 8K 360-degree drone that sold 30,000 units shortly after launch. But Antigravity is still a Chinese company, so they face the exact same supply chain exposure. Meanwhile, the Zero Zero HoverAir Aqua is reportedly dead in the water after failing to get FCC certification before the December ban. When volunteer fire departments or Search and Rescue can't afford a $10,000 enterprise system, they rely on affordable consumer drones. As we’ve said time and time again, this isn’t a problem we’re going to feel right now… This will be a major problem in 2-3 years. Speaking of, the Federal Communications Commission has released Public Notice DA 26-314, asking our drone industry what needs to be fixed to help the United States lead the global drone race. The notice covers six policy areas, but spectrum access is the biggest one. Right now, most U.S. drones operate on unlicensed 2.4 and 5.8 gigahertz bands, which are the same crowded frequencies used by your home Wi-Fi router. The FCC is asking if the industry should shift to the licensed 5030 to 5091 megahertz band. They previously allocated a 10-megahertz block at 5040 to 5050 megahertz for direct frequency assignments, but this has sat dormant. The FCC also wants to speed up experimental licensing and address Counter-UAS rules. Currently, Section 333 of the Communications Act prohibits willful interference with radio communications, preventing any counter-drone system that jams a signal. Comments are due by May 1st. We will have to see if they can create a credible framework before current exemptions expire in 2027.And our third story, all interconnected this week, The Oregon Department of Aviation has drafted an eight-point response to the FCC public notice. But instead of just asking for abstract reforms, Oregon is telling the FCC exactly where to build new UAS innovation zones. They identified three specific test corridors in real terrain: one in the Cascades near Oakridge, another along the Columbia River Gorge, and a third in southeast Oregon. Oregon argues that testing drones in flat, controlled academic labs does not produce data that transfers to real-world conditions. For example, wildfire response or emergency medical delivery are dealing with mountain passes, line-of-sight obstructions, and weather. Oregon also backed the push toward the 5030 to 5091 megahertz band for command and control links, emphasizing that safety-critical operations cannot rely on unlicensed bands. They also asked the FCC for a simple waiver process for trusted deployment of foreign drones during this transition period. That’s all this week, join us in Post Flight where we share our opinions that may or may not be suitable for YouTube, and we’ll see you next week! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/06/fcc-da-26-314-drone-spectrum-licensing-public-notice/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/07/oregon-fcc-drone-dominance-test-sites/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/07/verge-dji-ban-nobody-replacing-consumer-drones/