As extreme-right Republican legislators continue blocking passage of additional US aid to Ukraine, Canada has stepped up alongside European countries and the UK to promise quick delivery of thousands of drones to Kyiv for its nearly two-year defensive battle against Russia’s invasion.

UK companies Skyports Drone Services and environmental protection maintenance specialist Ground Control are pairing up to help railroad infrastructure owner Network Rail in spotting and organizing its track clearing activities with greater attention to ecological protection.

Autel Robotics says its EVO Max drone series has received the coveted Class C2 type certificate under the new European drone regulations. For drone operators, Max’s C2 certification involves a firmware update to ensure compliance with the latest regulatory standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

This week OpenAI announce Sora, an AI powered realistic video generator that only requires a monthly subscription and an idea. In part of OpenAI’s announcement, it showed off rather convincing drone-like shots of Big Sur and coastal cities that would fool probably anyone but experts. So what does this mean for us drone pilots that hope to make a living doing this same thing?

Swiss drone manufacturing and aerial services company RigiTech is expanding its geographical and healthcare footprint with a new partnership in the Netherlands, where it will trial deployment and eventual integration of its UAVs into routine operation by medical transport and response units.

A firebrand US House of Representatives legislator who usually rails against the size, cost, and over-reach of rights-crushing government is hailing the advance of her bill to deprive perhaps millions of state agency, business, and police, fire, first responder, and private users the ability to fly their DJI drones across the country. And there aren’t even “alternative facts” backing up the motives for the astonishingly repressive effort.

Multiple social media platforms have come down hard on the account of a Colorado-based developer who used his drone to provoke and film homeless people, ultimately setting the videos to mocking music before posting them online.

A Canadian-Russian woman has pleaded guilty in a US court to participating in a multimillion-dollar plot to send American components to Russia for use in drones and guided missile systems.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) is joining forces with the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) so that beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations in the US can scale up safely.

Given the billions of dollars already invested, it’s not exactly “easy come, easy go.” But the decision by the US army to scrap a major combat helicopter program as – for all intents and purposes – obsolete in a world where drone deployment is expanding exponentially offers another example of how UAVs have captured a central role in military planning and activity in the two years since Ukraine was forced into war.

Aviation defense and security company BAE Systems has transformed a productive partnership into ownership of fellow UK-based company Malloy Aeronautics, whose development and production of drones – especially heavy-lift craft – has earned it plaudits over the last few years.

A popular, albeit decidedly quirky drone video enthusiast known as PhillyDroneLife has received a jolt of very conventional reality with US prosecutors filing a case against him for breaking flight regulations, and reportedly seeking nearly $200,000 in fines.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) says it has successfully tested how drones can be used to enhance safety and efficiency in avalanche mitigation efforts by triggering two man-made slides.

LiDAR tech specialist GeoCue has released three new survey-grade TrueView LiDAR systems for commercial drones such as the DJI M300 RTK.

As part of the recent agreement securing the launch of air taxi services by Joby in Dubai, Skyports Infrastructure has been contracted to oversee the construction of vertiports the activity will require – a critical element that has tended to be overlooked in the excitement surrounding nearing next generation aviation.

Militaries in the UK, US, France, and elsewhere have long maintained specialized units within their armies, navies, and air forces to accomplish specific kinds of tasks. In the very middle of its defensive war against Russia, Ukraine is now taking that structuring a step farther by creating an entirely separate branch for drone operations.

Switzerland-based VTOL drone manufacturer Wingtra has released a new LiDAR payload for its GEN II commercial mapping drone. The solution is being hailed as a significant advancement in lightweight drone sensors since it pairs precision with instant data alignment, unmatched ease of use (no calibration required), and exceptional efficiency.

Though Russia has relied heavily on using its Iran-supplied Shaheed-136 drones to attack Ukraine over the last year, the UAVs have to a large extent failed to live up to their frightening reputation, with defense units shooting down far more of the craft than those that reach their targets. Now, hackers have demystified the loitering missiles further by revealing another secret about them: their relatively low cost.

Drone shows took center stage around the world this weekend, with aerial performances dazzling viewers in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl host town Las Vegas.

Love is in the air, and so are discounts on DJI products. This Valentine’s Day, DJI is making it easier for you and your special someone to capture your adventures together in a creative manner. Here’s a roundup of the drones, action cameras, and handheld cameras on sale that would make great Valentine’s Day gifts for the tech-obsessed.

Though initially launched as a military response to an existential threat, Ukraine’s Army of Drones initiative has also become a major industrial and business operation – the proof being the publication of its annual results not entirely disimilar to those of a Wall Street company.