Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week. DJI is ending support for some of its Matrice drones and payloads, an DJI Matrice 30 helps rescue a missing elderly man in Oklahoma, a suspect in Missouri reportedly fired shots at a police drone during a chase, and we'll look at a new super fast FPV drone! Let's get to it.

First up, DJI has announced that on January 30, 2026, it will officially end all support for six of its legacy enterprise products. This is part of the company's routine product lifecycle management, but it's a big deal for anyone still relying on these platforms. After that date, there will be no more technical support, no official repairs, and no more firmware or compatibility troubleshooting. The products being retired are the Matrice M200 V2, the M210 V2, and the M210 RTK V2. These were and still are the workhorses for many inspection, public safety, and surveying teams. Also on the list are the Zenmuse XT and XT2 thermal cameras, and the Lightbridge 2 transmission system is also being retired. DJI is recommending that users upgrade to newer models to take advantage of improved tech and support.Next up, we have a real-world drones-for-good story! A DJI drone was instrumental in rescuing a 90-year-old man who had been lost for nearly 12 hours in freezing temperatures in Atoka County, Oklahoma. After a massive search involving ground crews and even the National Guard, the Wagoner County Emergency Management team was called in with their drone. Volunteer pilot Eric Lane launched a DJI Matrice 30, and within just fifteen minutes, he spotted a clear heat signature in the woods using the drone's thermal camera.And in our third story this week, an incident in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, highlights both the value and the growing risks of using drones in law enforcement. According to KCTV, police were responding to reports of a man trying to get into locked cars. In an effort to find the person, they launched a surveillance drone, another DJI M30T. The drone quickly located a man walking through a driveway and testing car door handles.When the suspect realized he was being watched from above, he allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired two shots at the drone. Thankfully, the drone was not hit and continued its mission. The drone's live feed allowed officers on the ground to track the suspect as he ran through backyards, eventually leading to his arrest. A K9 unit later recovered a stolen 9mm pistol that the suspect had reportedly dropped. Finally, the FPV speed record has been broken yet again, and this time by a significant margin. The team at Drone Pro Hub has built and flown a custom FPV drone to a verified top speed of 374 miles per hour, or 603.47 kilometers per hour. To put that in perspective, that's nearly half the speed of sound, or Mach 0.49. This new record smashes the one set just a few weeks ago by Luke Maximo Bell's Peregreen 3, which had reached 585 kilometers per hour.The real breakthrough came after analyzing flight data, which revealed that the drone's body was creating too much aerodynamic drag. By redesigning the shape, slimming the nose, and smoothing the body, they managed to cut drag by about 18 percent. That's when they started hitting speeds over 540 kilometers per hour. While a 374-mph drone might not have many practical uses for most of us, the lessons learned about aerodynamics, vibration, and power systems at these speeds could absolutely lead to more stable and efficient drones for everyone. It's a fantastic story of engineering and perseverance.We’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/30/fpv-drone-603-km-h-speed-record/https://dronexl.co/2025/12/02/suspect-shoots-police-drone-lee-summit-chase/https://dronexl.co/2025/12/02/dji-drone-help-find-missing-elderly-man-cold/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: some GOP senators are pushing back against a potential DJI ban, UAS Nexus is launching a marketplace to solve the Blue UAS component shortage, Inspired Flight and Ascend Engineering are expanding their partnership to boost software for American-made drones, and an M30T Shoot down in Ohio. Let's get to it.

First up, the push to ban DJI in the U.S. is facing some unexpected resistance from within the Republican party. According to a report from Politico, a provision to restrict DJI, which was included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, was left out of the Senate's version. Senators from agricultural and energy states are raising major concerns. Senator John Boozman of Arkansas pointed out, “They are the primary drone maker in the United States at a reasonable price. This technology is being used more and more… That’s the crux of the problem.”This all comes as a critical deadline approaches on December 23rd. Under last year's NDAA, a federal security agency is supposed to determine if DJI poses a national security risk. If no agency conducts that audit by the deadline, DJI automatically gets added to the FCC’s Covered List, which would ban new products from entering the U.S. market. The problem is, no agency has stepped up to actually do the audit. Next up, a Salt Lake City engineering firm called UAS Nexus is launching a new venture to tackle a huge problem: the Blue UAS supply chain. The company just launched the Drone Syndicate Store, which is a curated marketplace for NDAA and Blue UAS-compliant components. This is a big deal because while everyone talks about building American drones, finding all the individual, compliant parts, from motors to radios, is a massive headache for manufacturers. Next, Inspired Flight Technologies, or IFT, is expanding its partnership with a software firm called Ascend Engineering. IFT is a U.S. manufacturer of NDAA-compliant and Blue UAS-listed drones, and this partnership is all about beefing up their software capabilities. Ascend Engineering specializes in UAV software, and they’ve been working with IFT for two years on their Inspired Ground Control, or IGC, platform. IGC is the central hub for mission planning, in-flight management, and payload integration.Together, they’ve already pushed out several updates to the IGC software, improved the NTRIP framework for better connectivity, and added advanced payload features. According to IFT, this partnership accelerates their "software-enabled hardware strategy." This is so important because a drone is more than just its hardware. The software that runs it has to be secure, intuitive, and powerful. By focusing on building out their own software suite with a dedicated partner, IFT is working to create a complete, mission-ready system that is fully made in America. Last up, an M30T was shot down this week in Ohio. While flying, he experienced what he thought was a fly away, and called the police to notify them that the drone was flying away. Shortly after, the police returned his call to say someone reported finding a drone. The pilot met up with the reporting party, who said “I shot it down”. Be sure to check out our Black Friday deals and we’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/26/gop-senators-break-with-dji-hawks-december-ban/https://www.inspiredflight.com/news/ift-partnership-ascend-engineering.phphttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/20/uas-nexus-drone-syndicate-solve-blue-uas-supply-chaos/#google_vignettehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/commercialdronepilot/permalink/1751858248823888/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: A UK police drone crash injures a child, a drone helps rescue a missing 85-year-old man in Wisconsin, and a viral drone show proposal lights up the Dallas skyline. Let's get to it.

First up, a serious incident out of the United Kingdom, where a police drone crashed and injured a child. According to multiple sources, on August 2nd, police in Kent were responding to an alleged assault in Sheerness. An officer deployed a DJI Matrice 30T, but during the flight, the drone reportedly struck an overhead power line. It then fell and struck a child, causing severe hand injuries that required them to be taken to a hospital for treatment. The confirmation of the crash and injury didn’t occur until a freedom of information request was submitted. There currently aren’t any updates on the status of the child struck by the drone, and while we don’t normally cover stories out of the United States, we wanted to cover this one to remind everyone that safety must come first in any operation. Next up, a drones-for-good story! In Juneau County, Wisconsin, deputies used a drone to find a missing 85-year-old man. The sheriff's office received a call shortly after 5 p.m. about a man who had wandered into a dense wooded area and was possibly injured. Multiple agencies, including the fire department and the Department of Natural Resources, joined the search. As daylight started to fade and temperatures dropped, the situation became more urgent.Shortly before 7 p.m., deputies launched a drone over the search area. Using its camera, the drone team spotted the man stuck in thick mud and unable to free himself. Ground crews could have spent hours searching that difficult terrain on foot, but the drone provided an immediate bird's-eye view. Rescuers were able to reach him quickly and bring him to safety. He was taken to a medical center for evaluation but is expected to be fine. While the report didn't specify the exact drone model, it's likely it was equipped with a thermal camera, which is a game-changer in search and rescue. And finally this week, a story that went viral and shows a much more creative use for drones. A man in Dallas used a massive drone light show to propose to his girlfriend. Cybersecurity engineer Travon Duncan planned the elaborate proposal for his girlfriend, Erica McDowell, who is a content creator. The video, which you’ve probably seen on social media, shows hundreds of drones lighting up the Dallas skyline. They spelled out "Will you marry me?" and created animations of hearts, a ring box, and an infinity symbol.To pull this off, Duncan said he had to get a permit to block off nearby streets, which is a great reminder for all of us that you can't just fly over moving cars, even for a grand romantic gesture. He said the proposal was a "major investment," and I can only imagine! It’s not every day you see someone take over the airspace of a major city for a proposal. The couple’s friends and family were on a rooftop to watch the whole thing unfold. It’s a pretty amazing use of drone show technology, and I have to say, he really raised the bar for proposals everywhere!Be sure to check out our Black Friday deals and we’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/19/police-crashed-dji-drone-into-child/https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/11/19/a-dallas-drone-proposalhttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/19/drone-wisconsin-deputies-missing-85-old-man/

Watch Post Flight on the Community 👉 https://bit.ly/pilot-institute-communityWelcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: DJI Releases and Rumors. The Syracuse Police drone program is stalled yet again, and a new spray drone made by an American company!

Watch Post Flight on Community 👉 https://bit.ly/pilot-institute-communityWelcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: DJI launches the new Zenmuse L3 LiDAR, a Utah drone maker gets an early win in a trade secrets lawsuit, Autel Releases new products, and an experimental drone crash sparks a wildfire in Colorado. Let's get to it.

DJI has launched the Zenmuse L3. The L3 boasts a detection range of up to 950 meters, or over 3,100 feet; more than double the 450-meter range of the previous L2 payload. It achieves this with a new 1535nm wavelength LiDAR, and it does it even on objects with just 10% reflectivity. The system also features dual 100-megapixel 4/3 CMOS RGB sensors—a five-fold increase over the L2’s 20-megapixel sensor. And with a 3cm ground sampling distance at 300 meters, that’s 984 feet, you’ll get ultra detailed maps and models.DJI is claiming a vertical accuracy of 3 centimeters at 120 meters of flight altitude and 10 centimeters at 500 meters. The laser beam divergence is just 0.25 milliradians, making the spot size about one-fifth that of the L2, which is perfect for detecting small objects like power lines. It also supports up to 16 returns per laser pulse, a huge jump from the L2's five returns, which will dramatically improve terrain mapping in dense forests. This whole system weighs 1.6 kilograms, or 3.5 pounds, and is compatible with the Matrice 300, 350, and the new 400. A federal judge in Utah has handed an early victory to Vector Defense, a drone company co-founded by George Matus, the former Chief Technology Officer of Red Cat, which owns Teal Drones, filed a lawsuit against Matus and Vector Defense, claiming he stole trade secrets and sabotaged their business before leaving to start his own company. Red Cat was seeking a temporary restraining order to stop Vector from manufacturing drones or competing in the industry for the next year.However, the judge denied the request, stating that Red Cat "failed to provide evidence" to support its claims and that its assertions were merely "speculative." Matus founded Teal Drones while still in high school, sold it to Red Cat in 2021, and then left in 2024 to co-found Vector Defense. Red Cat alleged that Matus used his position to give his new company an unfair head start. Matus countered that Vector's drones, like their single-use FPV "Hammer" drone, don't even compete with Red Cat's products.Autel robotics has quietly released several new products. The Autel Explorer, a small drone/RC car hybrid designed for GPS denied environments indoors, The Evo III with a mechanical shutter, the Evo Pioneer 150 which is a ground robot with a 200kg payload, the Evo Nest 2, a docking solution for the Eco III, and the Skyfend Interceptor. These announcements come with very limited details. None of these products are currently on Autel’s site.An experimental, remotely piloted aircraft with a 6-foot wingspan crashed in a rural area near Calhan, Colorado, sparking an 83-acre wildfire. According to the Tri-County Volunteer Fire Department, the crash itself started the fire. But it was the drone's lithium batteries that "significantly intensified the blaze," making it much harder to fight.https://www.courthousenews.com/utah-drone-maker-takes-early-win-in-former-employers-trade-secrets-theft-claims/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jscap_uas-integrating-infrastructure-ugcPost-7390344113906143232-gpaE?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAAJSd6cBnGyJ-pAI0UP04C1xL-w9OM69WQI&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_linkhttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/04/dji-zenmuse-l3-lidar-doubles-detection-range/https://dronexl.co/2025/11/01/remotely-piloted-aircraft-crash-colorado-wildfire/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: the FCC vote, DJI drone and payload leaks, and a California homeowner is facing a massive $300,000 fine based on drone surveillance. Let's get to it.

First up, in a 3-0 vote, the FCC granted itself the authority to retroactively ban equipment from companies on its "Covered List." This new rule was driven by Chinese communication equipment issues and it closes two major loopholes. First, it prohibits the authorization of any new devices that contain components from a Covered List company. Second, and this is the big one, it allows the FCC to revoke previously authorized equipment if national security concerns arise. As I said, this was motivated by huawei and other Chinese telecom equipment. Why does it matter to the drone world?DJI and Autel could end up on the FCC Covered List by the end of the year if an audit of their technology is not completed by the US government. If/when they get added, then the FCC would have the authority to do what they just voted on. There is technically a notice of proposed rule making coming up on this to follow, but as of this recording, it is NOT public.Next up, DJI has a few rumored releases including the Neo 2, which is rumored to be released by the time you’re watching this recording! Some notable upgrades include forward-facing LiDAR, 2 Axis Gimbal, possible sensor upgrades, and the battery, reportedly offering 15% more capacity for a flight time of around 19 minutes. But that upgrade comes at a cost—leaked Australian pricing shows the new battery will be $129, which is more than double the original's $59 price tag. DJI Enterprise is teasing a new payload for all the surveyors and mappers out there. The company has announced a launch event for November 4th at 7 AM EST for what is almost certainly the new Zenmuse L3 LiDAR payload. The teaser tagline is "See Through, Far and True," which gives us some big clues. "See Through" likely points to improved vegetation penetration, which is critical for forestry and terrain mapping. "Far" suggests a longer detection range than the Zenmuse L2's 450 meters. And "True" implies even better accuracy, which would be impressive since the L2 already boasts 4cm vertical and 5cm horizontal accuracy.Leaked photos show the L3 payload in a rugged Pelican-style case, and it features a distinctive pink and purple display screen that matches the teaser video. This is the logical successor to the Zenmuse L2, which was launched back in October 2023. DJI has been a game-changer in this space, bringing the cost of aerial LiDAR down from over $100,000 to something much more accessible. Fourth this week, a homeowner in Stanton, California, is facing a staggering $300,000 fine after a drone owned by the City allegedly recorded illegal fireworks being set off at his property on July 4th. The city claims its drone documented approximately 300 explosions, and they're fining him $1,000 for each one. The homeowner insists he wasn't even home at the time.And next week at this time, we’ll be in Las Vegas for the Vegas Drone Meetup! We’ll be teaching a few in-person courses on select Part 107 topics and on photography and cinematography. If you’re in the area, check it out and we hope to see you there! Link in the description if you wanna join!We’ll be talking about all these stories and more on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our opinions. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you on Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2025/10/28/drone-surveillance-fine-california-homeowner/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/24/dji-neo-2-leaked-first-images-features-price/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/28/dji-enterprise-zenmuse-l3-photos/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/29/fcc-retroactive-power-ban-dji-drones/

Las Vegas Drone Meet Up:https://vegasdronemeetup.com/

Post Flight on Community:https://bit.ly/pilot-institute-communityWelcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: a Florida Senator is pushing for an emergency retroactive ban on DJI and Autel drones, a new drone payload can physically restrain suspects from the air, and several men who were alleged to have used a drone to drop contraband into a prison.

Florida Senator Rick Scott sent a letter on October 20th to the FCC, urging the agency to take aggressive action against DJI and Autel Robotics. He's not just asking for a future ban; he's demanding the FCC retroactively revoke ALL equipment authorizations for DJI and Autel devices that have been issued since December 23rd, 2024. The letter specifically calls out what Scott describes as a "deliberate evasion strategy" where Chinese companies allegedly use shell companies to get around U.S. restrictions.Now, as always, is a good time to reach out to your representatives to demand an extension on the audit. The audit needs to be completed to end this national security debate once and for all. Next up, we have a story that sounds like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie. Wrap Technologies, the company behind the BolaWrap, has just unveiled a drone payload system that can physically restrain a person from the air. It's called the DFR-X payload, or MERLIN-Interdictor, and it essentially mounts their tether technology onto a drone. This marks a major shift for Drone as First Responder, or DFR, programs, which have so far focused entirely on observation and situational awareness. Now, they're moving into active intervention.So how does it work? The system is a drone-agnostic payload with six cassettes. Each cassette can deploy an 8-foot Kevlar tether that shoots out at over 500 feet per second to wrap around a suspect's arms or legs. The company says it's a non-lethal tool designed to deter, delay, and disrupt threatening behavior before officers arrive on the scene. They're positioning it as a life-saving tool for situations like active shooters in schools or dynamic SWAT operations. Pre-orders are scheduled to begin on November 17th, 2025, though no pricing has been announced. And finally, we have another story about the misuse of drones. Three men were arrested near Washington State Prison in Georgia after deputies allegedly found them with a drone and other evidence that was quote “indicative of an attempted drone drop”. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, deputies allegedly spotted a suspicious vehicle leaving the prison area just after midnight on Saturday and pulled it over for traffic violations. Inside, they found the drone and arrested the three individuals on charges of Trading with Inmates and Flying an Unmanned Aircraft.This isn't an isolated incident; it's a full-blown crisis. This was the second major bust at this same prison in just 10 days. The local sheriff reported that his office stopped 21 attempted drone drops in 2024 alone. Statewide, the Georgia Department of Corrections has logged over 1,000 drone incidents since 2022. https://dronexl.co/2025/10/21/wrap-drone-physically-restrain-suspects/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/21/three-arrested-drone-contraband-georgia-prison/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/21/dji-drones-could-be-banned-this-week/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: the FCC is set to vote on new rules that could impact covered list entities, DJI is appealing the "Chinese Military Company" court ruling, and we have a drones-for-good story out of New York. Let's get to it.

First up, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency will vote on October 28th to close two major loopholes that companies on the "Covered List" have been using. The proposed rules would do two things. First, they would prohibit the authorization of any new devices that contain component parts from a Covered List company. And second, they would give the FCC the power to revoke previously issued authorizations in specific cases. This vote is happening just as DJI faces a December 23rd deadline from the National Defense Authorization Act. If a security review isn't completed by then, DJI automatically gets added to the FCC's Covered List. This is a direct shot at the strategy we've been discussing, with companies like Skyany, Skyrover, and Jovistar popping up with what are essentially rebranded DJI drones. According to the press release from the FCC, there may be an NPRM to follow, but the new rules could also prevent the import and sale of devices already approved.Next up, in a related story, DJI is appealing a federal court decision that kept it on the Pentagon’s “Chinese Military Company” list. This is a really interesting case because DJI is in a legal paradox where it seems to have won based on the facts but lost in court. On September 26th, a D.C. District Court judge ruled that DJI would remain on the list, BUT the judge’s decision explicitly rejected most of the Defense Department’s core allegations. The court found no evidence that DJI is owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party or that it's linked to a military-civil fusion enterprise.The court only upheld two of the Pentagon's claims. The first was that DJI holds a "National Enterprise Technology Center" status, which the court acknowledged is widely granted to innovative tech companies, including U.S. ones. The second was that DJI products have "substantial dual-use applications," which is true for tons of off-the-shelf technology. Critically, the court found no evidence of actual misuse by the Chinese military. Despite all this, the judge deferred to the Pentagon’s “broad discretion” on national security, keeping the label in place. This designation restricts federal contracts and spooks the private sector, which is a major problem when DJI still controls about 76% of the U.S. consumer drone market. And finally this week, a drones-for-good story! The Olean Police Department in upstate New York used a thermal drone to rescue three kayakers in distress on the Allegheny River. The distress call came in just before 8 p.m., and in the darkness, a traditional search would have been incredibly difficult. Instead, police and fire personnel quickly deployed their drone, which appears to have been a Mavic 3 Thermal. Within minutes, the drone’s thermal sensor picked up the heat signatures of two of the kayakers in the cool water. This dramatically cut down the search time and likely prevented hypothermia. The search teams then shifted to the surrounding woods and located the third person on land. And this week on Post-flight, the show in the Premium Community where we share our opinions, we’ll talk about these stories and a $500 million counter-drone program for the upcoming World Cup. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you on Monday for the live! https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-415068A1.pdfhttps://dronexl.co/2025/10/14/dji-appeals-court-ruling-pentagon-chinese-military-company/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/12/fcc-vote-kill-dji-shell-company-strategy-december-ban-deadline/https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/olean-police-rescue-kayakers-in-distress-with-drone-technology/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News update, we have 3 stories for you: Amazon resumes operations after two drones crash into a crane, Flock Safety launches Aerodome Drone as Automated Security, and Phase One releases a 247MP camera!

First up, Amazon Prime Air has resumed delivery flights after two of its MK30 aircraft collided with a mobile crane in Tolleson, Arizona. The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 1st when a construction crane was doing roofing work at a business. The two drones impacted the crane a few minutes apart, with one falling to the ground and catching on fire. Both the FAA and NTSB have begun investigations. Amazon resumed operations on Friday, October 3rd, raising questions about whether Amazon is prioritizing conducting operations over safety. According to DroneXL, this incident is the 4th reported crash this year by an Amazon MK30, and the second time the system has been grounded. In January, Amazon halted operations after two MK30s crashed during testing in Oregon due to faulty LiDAR programming. This event hasn’t yet hit the NTSB’s CAROL database, but we’ll likely get more information if or when it does. Next up, Flock Safety has released their Aerodome Drone as Automated Security (DAS). This system is designed to be a turn-key solution for security patrols. This is a separate product and mission profile from Drones as First Responder, and caters to the private entity looking for a similar solution. It appears that Flock is using the DJI Dock 3 and the Matrice 4D, with Flock’s own back-end deployment software. The system also integrates with Flock’s ecosystem through FlockOS, allowing private entities to utilize alarm panels, video management systems, license plate readers, and audio sensors. Way to diversify! Last up this week, Phase One has released a 247MP photogrammetry camera! If you’re unfamiliar with Phase One, they’ve been a well-known name in the mapping space for their high-megapixel cameras. This week they released the iXM-RS250, with a resolution of 19,200×12,800 pixels and a new IIQ-X compression format, which reduces file size by 90% when compared to 16-bit TIFFs. The new camera is also said to reduce mapping times by 30% compared to previous systems. For those operators who fly large missions and deal with terabytes of data, this could be a game-changer. The iXM-RS250 is immediately compatible with the DJI Matrice 400, and features a USB 3.0 and 10G ethernet for other systems. At this time, Phase One has not released any pricing for the iXM-RS250, but it’s safe to say it’ll be pricey! And on Post Flight, our show where we share our opinions, we won’t be talking about part 108… We will be discussing these stories and Sikorsky, who has released an entire family of VTOL drones. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you next week! https://dronexl.co/2025/10/08/phase-one-247mp-drone-camera-intergeo/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/03/amazon-resumes-drone-deliveries-days-after-tolleson-crane-crash-and-fire/https://dronexl.co/2025/09/30/flock-safety-aerodome-das-drone-security/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week; DJI loses lawsuit against the Pentagon, DJI unveils new Mavic 3 Thermal Advanced, Freely releases the Ember FPV, and an Ohio bill to ban foreign made drones. Let's get to it.

First up, DJI has lost its lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's "Chinese Military Company" designation. On September 26th, a U.S. District Judge rejected DJI’s challenge, upholding the national security threat classification. The ruling leaves DJI facing major business restrictions and the very real possibility of an automatic product ban.

This is because its technology has "substantial theoretical and actual military application," regardless of DJI's own policies against military use. DJI argued that its founder and early investors control 88% of the stock and over 99% of voting rights, but the judge ruled that the ownership structure was "difficult to discern."This is a massive disruption, considering DJI accounts for over 76% of registered drones in the U.S. For public safety agencies, the costs are staggering. The Department of Interior documented price increases from $2,600 to over $15,000 per unit when switching from DJI to approved domestic drones.The biggest threat, however, is a looming deadline. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act mandates a security review by December 23, 2025. If no federal agency completes this review, DJI will automatically be added to the FCC's Covered List.In some new product news, DJI has quietly launched the Mavic 3TA, an advanced thermal version of its Mavic 3 Enterprise series. This seems to be an iterative update focused on boosting real-world utility for professionals in search and rescue, public safety, and inspections.The Mavic 3TA features an uncooled VOx microbolometer with an 8-micrometer pixel pitch. This smaller pixel pitch should provide finer detail and more accurate temperature readings. The thermal lens also has a longer 60-millimeter equivalent focal length, compared to the 40-millimeter on the 3T. The temperature measurement range is still robust, from -20 to 500 degrees Celsius.It keeps the same compact, foldable design, weighing 920 grams. It has a 45-minute flight time, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, and an IP54 weather resistance rating. The visual cameras are the same as the 3T, with a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera using a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a 56x hybrid zoom.Next up, Freefly released the Ember FPV drone, a 500g FPV drone with a high-speed camera on it. By high speed, I mean somewhere between 600 and 3000 fps. While specs aren’t yet public on this guy, it looks to be a huge upgrade from the exiting cinelifters we see carry larger cameras.There’s also a new bill in Ohio this week, which would ban drones made by a foreign adversary. Of course, AUVSI is in support of stripping public safety agencies from using the best possible equipment, as they’ve pushed for in other states. If you haven’t yet written your comment for Part 108, time is running out. You have until Monday at 11:59PM ET to get your comments in. It’s extremely important that you voice your opinions.Like every week, we’ll discuss these stories in depth and share our opinions on Post Flight in the premium community. We’ll see you there and we’ll see you on Monday for the live! https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb180https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/sb180/00_IN/pdf/https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7378982847786823682/?originTrackingId=WoVXzy9%2B7TVAhS3oVQkgHA%3D%3Dhttps://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2025-1908-0023/commenthttps://dronexl.co/2025/09/29/dji-unveils-mavic-3ta-enterprise-drone-with-upgraded-thermal-tech/https://dronexl.co/2025/09/26/dji-loses-pentagon-lawsuit/