This Blue sUAS cleared drone is now Remote ID compliant

Ascent AeroSystems has announced the immediate availability of Remote ID capabilities for its Spirit drone platform, which was added to the Blue sUAS list by the Pentagon earlier this year. According to the Massachusetts-based company, it is the first Blue sUAS original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to be fully Remote ID compliant.

Ascent AeroSystems said it has been developing and testing its solution for months, and beginning next week, all systems shipped by the company will be fully compliant with the FAA’s requirement for Broadcast Remote ID.

According to the FAA, drone manufacturers must comply with Remote ID requirements starting September 16, 2022. Remote ID will help the FAA, law enforcement, and other federal agencies to receive information about drones in flight, such as the identity, location, and altitude of the aircraft and its control station or takeoff location. Authorized individuals from public safety organizations will also be able to request the identity of the drone’s owner from the FAA.

Related: FAA’s Remote ID rule for drones is constitutional, DC court rules

As Peter Fuchs, Ascent AeroSystems CEO, put it:

Two things are required for small UAS operations to scale successfully into efficient networks. First, operators need a robust aircraft that can operate reliably in difficult, real-world environments. Our coaxial platforms are designed for precisely those conditions. The second is a consistent, well-understood regulatory framework. By ensuring all our newly delivered systems are compliant from day one, our customers are able to demonstrate their ability to conform to those requirements safely.

Fuchs stresses that Ascent AeroSystems’s Remote ID solution meets or exceeds all ASTM and FCC compliance requirements, is NDAA compliant, and will be built into all existing and future products. 

Retrofits for previously delivered drones will be available from Q1 2023. It should be highlighted that drone operators have until September 16, 2023, to become Remote ID compliant.

Read: Lawsuit challenging outdated NYC drone laws set to move forward