US Government

A new bipartisan bill has been introduced in the US Senate to keep commercial, off-the-shelf drones out of the hands of foreign terrorists.

As DJI’s future in the US hangs in the balance, a heated debate is unfolding within the commercial drone industry. Legislative efforts are underway to implement a ban on Chinese-manufactured DJI drones and bolster domestic manufacturers like Skydio and BRINC. However, it has raised deep concerns about the readiness and scalability of American drone makers to meet the market’s demands.

With Congress only hours away from deciding tech giant DJI’s future in the United States, here’s what the “Countering CCP Drones Act” (HR 2864) means for the drones you already have.

The US Senate will soon deliberate on a significant piece of legislation that could impact your ability to access and operate DJI drones. The bill in question is the “Countering CCP Drones Act” (HR 2864), and it aims to ban new DJI products from entering the US market.

Republican leaders on the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party are urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to open an investigation into the Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA). The industry coalition group has been actively involved in the discussion surrounding the potential ban on DJI drones in the US and has vehemently opposed legislation that proposes a new tax system to radically increase DJI drone prices.

The recent passing of the TikTok bill in Congress is raising concerns that it might set a precedent for similar actions against Chinese companies in the US. More specifically, it could affect pending legislation like the Countering CCP Drones Act, which would effectively make all DJI drones — new and old — unusable in the US, and a fresh proposal known as the Drones for First Responders Act (DFR Act) which relates to first responder use of Chinese-made drones.

Tech giant DJI has outlined the significant and immediate repercussions that denying access to their drones via the “Countering CCP Drones Act” will have on people across the United States.

Tech giant DJI has provided a detailed response to legislation that seeks to ban its drones in the US. If passed, the “Countering CCP Drones Act” would prevent operators from buying the latest DJI drones — and may also potentially ground existing fleets, regardless of how operators use them — because it would prohibit DJI from operating on US communications infrastructure. The bill has already advanced to clear a Congress committee hearing.

AgEagle Aerial Systems says it has secured a major contract for eBee X and eBee TAC drones for use by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The drones will support DOE in national security and emergency response efforts.

The world’s leading drone maker DJI has clearly had enough of the recurring accusations about the data security of its craft, and the attendant blacklists drawn up by US political leaders offering no substantiation of their claims. In response, the company has issued a rare clarification about the steps it takes to secure user information on its craft.

The walls appear to be steadily closing in on DJI in the US – and perhaps, users of its drones as well – following official warnings issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency over alleged security threats China-produced drones pose to operators.

The highly geeked out unit of the U.S. Department of Defense has issued a $10 million contract to develop its long contemplated Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay system (POWER), which will likely use drones as airborne platforms to conduct electric refueling for other vehicles – or for re-juicing their own batteries.

Manufacturer of high capability security and defense UAVs, Performance Drone Works (PDW) has announced its C100 heavy-lift C100 quadcopter has been named to the Blue sUAS list of drones approved for US government operation.

Efforts to undermine the fortunes of the world’s leading drone maker DJI are about to bare a bumper crop fruit with legislative passage of a key defense bill that contains the National Security Drone Act of 2023, which blacklists aerial tech from China-based companies for use in official federal agency work. The wider package now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

US politicians responding to soured relationships and strong distrust of China have again tabled legislation seeking to prohibit use of technology produced by companies from the nation, with popular and widely deployed DJI drones clearly the primary focus of those efforts.

Security and defense UAV tech specialist Red Cat Holdings has expanded its work with US government agencies through an additional contract to supply Teal 2 drones to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operators.

Top US aviation and aerospace educator Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is adding a new facet to its range of pedagogical and training activities with an assignment from the US Department of State to conceive a multi-modal curriculum and learning program for future drone pilots from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (BINLEA).

In an era where bipartisanship in the US Senate is about as improbable (and infrequent) as spinning straw into gold, there seems to be one topic on which politicians are willing to love it up across the aisle – the general threat to national interests posed by China as a whole, and particularly by drones made by sector leader DJI.

Is DJI really the ominous data threat to its customers – and even to US national security – that detractors claim, or might it instead be the victim of a broadening effort of sector rivals and allied politicians to undermine the company’s favored status among both private and enterprise drone buyers? The question has arisen anew with a report this week in US media ringing alarm bells about a purported “Chinese drone spy threat” the company’s craft pose.

Boston-based startup GreenSight is reporting a significant business breakthrough with the selection of its WeatherHive drone swarm atmosphere sensing tech for prototype development by the US Air Force (USAF) and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

Security, defense, and law enforcement UAV specialist Teal Drones has continued expanding its business base by landing a $1 million-plus contract with the US Customs and Border Protection service to supply its high-performance Golden Eagle craft.