US government agencies, public safety agencies, and private industry conducting sensitive aerial missions can now refer to new guidance before purchasing any drones. The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) have released a memo with procurement guidance and recommendations for security-focused drones. The development comes at a time when a bill proposing to ban DJI drones is expected to move in Congress amid data security concerns.
DIU and AUVSI recently signed an agreement to establish a pathway for drone component manufacturers with Green UAS certification to directly share their data with the technological research agency of the Department of Defense (DOD). Their goal is to potentially incorporate Green-certified components onto DIU’s Blue UAS Framework list, easing things for component manufacturers and buyers alike.
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The new memo by AUVSI and DIU follows the passage of the American Security Drone Act (ASDA) into law in December 2023 and publication of a joint memo from the FBI and CISA in January 2024 on cybersecurity guidance for drones for critical infrastructure.
Since then, federal agencies, state and local agencies, and private industry conducting sensitive missions have been focused on purchasing non-Chinese drones. However, both public and private entities have been facing challenges in determining which regulations, standards, or guidance to follow in the procurement processes. It doesn’t help that DJI’s mix of cutting-edge technology, reliability, and affordability is hard to match for competitors.
Nonetheless, the lack of clarity has led federal agencies, commercial entities, state and local governments to default to DIU’s Blue UAS Cleared List as guidance or a standard. However, DIU has always intended to provide technology solutions for the defense department. For non-DOD needs, the AUVSI points to Green UAS as a solution. You can read the complete memo here.
As David Michelson, director of the autonomy portfolio at DIU, sums up, “The intent behind our effort with AUVSI is to increase availability of NDAA verified drone components to the uncrewed industry at large and streamline the process for Blue UAS consideration. As we look ahead to a refresh of vendors and platforms on the Blue UAS Cleared List later this year, DIU is prioritizing drones that have already been vetted as meeting the highest levels of cybersecurity and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supply chain requirements.”
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