In a quiet move that has flown under much of the industry radar, DJI has introduced a new iteration in the Mavic 3 Enterprise drone lineup: the Mavic 3TA (Advanced). Rather than replacing the existing Mavic 3T, this version appears to supplement it, targeted toward users who want enhanced thermal imaging in the same portable package.
New DJI Mavic 3TA drone: Key thermal improvements
The headline change in the 3TA is its refined thermal camera. DJI explains that the new unit features a 41.2° DFOV (Diagonal Field of View) and a 60 mm equivalent focal length, while preserving the same 640 × 512 resolution as before. In contrast, the original Mavic 3T used a 61° DFOV and a 40 mm equivalent focal length. These tweaks suggest DJI is narrowing the thermal field of view, trading off breadth for potentially improved object discernment in mid-to-long ranges.
Another noteworthy change is a smaller pixel pitch: whereas the 3T’s thermal sensor used a 12 µm pitch, the 3TA reportedly improves that to 8 µm, which could enhance sensitivity and sharpness in the thermal domain. Temperature measurement behavior and speed appear unaffected, with both variants using an uncooled VOx microbolometer array with a 30 Hz frame rate, supporting spot/area temperature metering, and maintaining an approximate NETD (Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference) of ≤ 50 mK at f/1.0. The temperature measurement range remains the same: –20 to 150 °C in “high gain” mode or up to 500 °C in low gain mode.
By tightening the DFOV and increasing focal length, the Mavic 3TA may aim to better resolve smaller heat sources at a distance — for instance, in power-line inspection, energy facility surveys, or search and rescue scenarios. However, the tradeoff is that a narrower field covers less area per shot, so flight planning may need adjustment.
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Beyond the thermal side, the 3TA largely preserves the strengths of the 3T:
- Imaging suite: Like the 3T, the 3TA retains the 48 MP wide-angle camera (1/2-inch CMOS, ~24 mm equivalent) with the 84° field of view, and a 12 MP telephoto (162 mm equivalent) for high-magnification detail and hybrid zoom (up to 56×).
- Flight performance: Maximum flight time remains ~45 minutes (no wind) using the same flight battery and propeller design.
- Weight and dimensions: The airframe carries a base weight around 920 g and a maximum takeoff capacity of about 1,050 g.
- Sensing and navigation: It continues to use an omnidirectional vision system (binocular stereo + infrared downward), supplemented by GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou, with optional RTK support for centimeter-level positioning.
- Transmission and control: DJI’s O3 Enterprise transmission remains standard, offering robust link stability over complex terrain.
- Accessories and system integration: The 3TA is expected to slot into the DJI Enterprise ecosystem — meaning compatibility with modules like RTK, loudspeaker, DJI RC Pro Enterprise controller, and enterprise software tools for mission planning and thermal analysis.
To accompany the launch, DJI has rolled out a firmware update to ensure seamless integration of the Mavic 3TA with existing controllers and software.
- Aircraft firmware: v14.02.00.22 (Mavic 3T Advanced) / v14.01.00.02 (Mavic 3T/3E)
- Remote controller firmware: v02.01.07.12
- DJI Pilot 2 app: v14.2.0.15
- DJI Assistant 2: v2.1.20
The most notable addition is on the controller side: support for the Mavic 3T Advanced has been officially added, ensuring operators can update and fly without compatibility hiccups.
By introducing the 3TA quietly, DJI is effectively offering a “mid-grade” option for enterprise users who want sharper thermal granularity without jumping to a significantly different drone series. It may appeal to those doing inspections over long distances, industrial monitoring, or missions where thermal detail (rather than wide coverage) is paramount.
Still, for many existing 3T owners the value of swapping may depend on mission profiles: in scenarios where broad thermal coverage is preferred (e.g. large-area surveys, firefighting over wide swaths), the original 61° DFOV may retain its advantages.
DJI’s wording reinforces this: they describe the 3TA as an addition to the Mavic 3T lineup — not a replacement — and recommend interested buyers contact local DJI Enterprise dealers for region-specific pricing. This suggests DJI will continue producing both models side by side.
From a market perspective, DJI’s move is reminiscent of adaptive variants in other tech sectors: by offering a tiered lineup without a full product refresh, DJI hedges its bets and satisfies niche demand in the thermal inspection space without fragmenting its platform too heavily.
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