News
Latest drone industry news, product launches and regulatory updates.
59 articles
Joby Buys Resonant Sciences for $500M Defense Push
Joby Aviation will acquire defense tech firm Resonant Sciences for $500 million, announced August 11, 2026, to build a dedicated military aircraft unit.
DARPA Lift Challenge 2026: A Helicopter Beat the Drones
Avidrone's Katana helicopter won DARPA's Lift Challenge on Aug 9, 2026, lifting 112 lbs at a 3.84:1 ratio — missing the 4:1 goal a…
FAA Proposes $289K Fine for Unlicensed Ag Drone Flights
The FAA proposed a $289,215 fine against Gorge Drones for 15 unauthorized fertilizer-spraying flights, a warning for agricultural…
Archer Buys Boeing's Wisk, Insitu, SkyGrid for 20% Stake
Archer Aviation will acquire Boeing's Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid in an all-stock deal announced August 10, 2026, giving Boeing…
Neros Raises $250M at $2.5B Value to Scale War Drones
Neros raised $250M at a $2.5B valuation on August 11, 2026, to scale its Archer FPV strike drone and new Bandit interceptor for th…
US Army Orders $50M More Kamikaze Drones From Ondas
The US Army awarded Ondas' Mistral subsidiary over $50 million for loitering-munition drones on August 5, pushing total contract v…
Drones to Deliver Blood to Trauma Scenes in 3 Minutes
ArcherFRS drones will deliver whole blood to Tampa-area trauma scenes in under 3 minutes — the first EMS-driven blood delivery dro…
AeroVironment's Locust Laser Wins $400M Army Deal (2026)
AeroVironment won a $400M US Army contract on August 7, 2026, for its Locust laser — the Pentagon's first production-scale counter…
Drone Takeover Technology Secured the 2026 World Cup
D-Fend's EnforceAir let 20+ police agencies hijack and land rogue drones at the World Cup without jamming or shooting them down. H…
Archer's New ZEE AI Model Predicts Airport Collisions
Archer Aviation unveiled ZEE on August 5, 2026, an AI foundation model that predicts airport surface collisions minutes ahead — bu…
FCC DJI Drone Ban: Comment Deadline Is Sept 2, 2026
DJI is urging US pilots to file FCC comments before September 2, 2026, against a proposed retroactive ban on already-approved dron…
Counter-Drone Laser Startup Aurelius Raises $40M (2026)
Aurelius Systems raised a $40M Series A on August 5, 2026, to scale Archimedes, an autonomous laser that tracks and disables drone…
China Curbs Drone Exports to US After FCC Ban (2026)
China tightened export controls on drones and components sold to the US on August 5, 2026, retaliating against the FCC's proposed…
Leipzig Airport Drone Bomb: Semtex Confirmed, DHL Hit
A drone rigged with Semtex plastic explosive was found beside a Ukrainian cargo jet at Germany's Leipzig airport, and a DHL freigh…
USDOT Opens $9M Drone Inspection Grants Amid DJI Ban
USDOT is offering $9 million in FY26 drone inspection grants, but a 25-state survey says the federal DJI ban could cost far more t…
Skydio, CentralSquare Wire Drones Into 911 Dispatch
Skydio and CentralSquare now integrate drone dispatch natively into police CAD software, letting agencies launch a drone to any 91…
Drones Ground Wildfire Aircraft 26 Times, Face $100K Fines
Drones entered wildfire airspace near Spokane 26 times in three days, grounding firefighting aircraft. Here's the TFR rule and fin…
DARPA Lift Challenge Live: $6.5M for Heavy-Lift Drones
DARPA's Lift Challenge kicked off in Dayton, Ohio, with 100+ teams competing for $6.5M to build drones that lift 4x their own weig…
eVTOL Air Taxis Start Test Flights Across 4 US States
Joby and Archer are flying real eVTOL air taxi test flights in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida this year, with passenger…
FAA Clears Drone Delivery Nationwide, Skips Full EIS
The FAA cleared drone delivery nationwide on July 30, 2026, without a full environmental review — as 16 state attorneys general de…
Yacht Drone Delivery Debuts: $57 a Flight, 15 Minutes
Flyde's Beluga drone now delivers to superyachts anchored off the French Riviera in under 15 minutes for $57 a flight, via a motor…
DJI Terra 5.3.0 Adds Thermal Mapping and AI Assistant
DJI Terra 5.3.0 adds 2D thermal mapping, video-based 3D reconstruction, and a built-in AI assistant for drone mapping and inspecti…
DoorDash Air Wins FAA OK, Becomes 8th Drone Airline
DoorDash Air won FAA Part 135 certification, becoming the 8th US drone delivery carrier. Here is how the in-house drone service wo…
FCC Drone Ban 2026: 17 Makers Get Permanent Exemption
The FCC dropped its 2026 expiration date on drone Conditional Approvals, letting 17 US-onshoring drone manufacturers keep selling…