Public Safety

 In an interview with AirData Founder and CEO Eran Steiner, the company discusses why infrastructure, transparency, and cross-platform support are shaping the next generation of public safety drone programs. Public safety agencies around the world are rapidly expanding their use of drones. From patrol support to search and rescue and fire assessment, unmanned aircraft are… Read more: AirData Launches Public Safety Program as Drone Operations Become Core to Emergency Response

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department has continued to expand its current drones as first responders (DFR) program, despite concerns that its use of drones and equipment made by Chinese company DJI could raise security issues. In January Chief Stacey Graves Police created a specialized DFR unit, with four… Read more: Kansas City Police Move Forward With DJI For DFR Program Expansion

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of reports on efforts to establish new counter-UAS protocols in the U.S. to protect high-profile sporting events and critical infrastructure from the potential threats posed by drones flown by careless or hostile actors.) New York state will have the necessary counter-UAS equipment and trained personnel to… Read more: New York Preps Counter-UAS for FIFA

Bluffdale, UT-based defense company Vector has secured a $20 million loan from J.P. Morgan to expand domestic small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) manufacturing capacity. The financing follows Vector’s Series A funding round, which closed in September 2025 and raised $61 million. That round drew investment from Pelion Venture Partners, Harpoon Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Lightspeed Venture… Read more: Vector Secures $20M J.P. Morgan Loan to Scale U.S. sUAS Manufacturing

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill While initiating a drones as first responders’ program, the Dallas Police Department is seeking to connect its UAV data operations with its existing comprehensive data-collection and storage system. In December, the Dallas City Council approved a $120 million security package upgrade for the department. Working with security software company… Read more: Dallas Police Launch Drone First Responder Program

Vector, a Bluffdale, Utah-based defense-as-a-service company, has announced an agreement with Nammo Defense Systems Inc. to integrate and supply munitions for Vector’s kinetically-integrated UAS platforms. The partnership targets small unmanned aerial systems built for active battlefield requirements. American-Made Platforms, Allied Munitions Vector develops small-UAS systems led by former Tier-1 special operations personnel. Nammo Defense Systems… Read more: Vector and Nammo Partner on Kinetically-Integrated UAS Platforms

A new trade association is giving Canadian defense technology companies — including drone and autonomous systems developers — a unified voice on policy and procurement. The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies (ACDC) launched on February 24, 2026, bringing together more than 25 founding members from across Canada’s defence-industrial base. The Ottawa-based association represents Canadian-owned and… Read more: Canada’s Defence Industry Unites: ACDC Launches to Advocate for Autonomous and Drone Capabilities

Epirus and Digital Force Technologies (DFT) have announced a partnership to deliver a fully integrated counter-UAS kill chain, unifying their technologies across detection, tracking, identification, localization and non-kinetic defeat of unmanned aerial system threats. Under the agreement, Epirus leads systems integration of DFT’s Seraphim command-and-control and multi-modal sensor fusion software with the Leonidas high-power microwave… Read more: Epirus and Digital Force Technologies Partner on Integrated Counter-UAS Kill Chain

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill (Editor’s note: This following story is part of an ongoing series of stories on efforts to establish new counter-UAS protocols in the U.S. to protect high-profile sporting events and critical infrastructure from the potential threats posed by drones flown by careless or hostile actors.) As U.S. cities get ready… Read more: DHS Offers Counter-UAV Siting Advice For World Cup Communities

Sentrycs, an Ondas Inc. subsidiary specializing in counter-drone technology, has delivered its C-UAS solution to a German State Police department. The deployment arrives as Sentrycs prepares to launch its new portable system, Sentrycs Scout, at the Enforce Tac exhibition in Germany. The system uses a proprietary “Cyber over RF” technique, also known as Protocol Manipulation,… Read more: Sentrycs Scout Expands Counter-Drone Capabilities for Law Enforcement

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, on February 11 issued an Action Plan on Drone and Counter Drone Security, calling for EU members to conduct a coordinated response campaign to counter the growing threats arising from maliciously operated drones. “The Action Plan sets a holistic approach… Read more: EU Commission Releases Action Plan For European Counter-UAS

Paladin has introduced Knighthawk 2.0, an autonomous NDAA-compliant drone designed as public safety infrastructure for Drone as a First Responder (DFR) programs worldwide. Knighthawk 2.0: Drone as a First Responder Built on DFR concepts, Knighthawk 2.0 launches immediately when an emergency call comes in, reaching the scene in about 70 seconds to provide real-time aerial situational awareness.… Read more: Paladin Unveils New First Responder Drone: Knighthawk 2.0

Titan Protection has secured FAA approval to conduct one-to-many drone operations, enabling a single remote pilot to oversee up to four automated drones simultaneously across multiple states. The Kansas City-based security company obtained the approval through an amendment to its existing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver—a waiver Titan was the first security company… Read more: Titan Protection Receives FAA Approval for One-to-Many Drone Operations

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill (Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories on efforts to establish new counter-UAS protocols in the U.S. to protect high-profile sporting events and critical infrastructure from the potential threats posed by drones flown by careless or hostile actors. This story will focus on the challenges… Read more: Massachusetts Facing Hurdles in Developing World Cup Counter-UAS

The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) has opened expressions of interest for manufacturers and suppliers to participate in its independent counter-UAS equipment evaluations program for 2026. Working alongside UK Government departments and operational end-users, the initiative provides manufacturers with rigorous, credible testing of Counter-UAS systems in realistic operational conditions, allowing both government agencies and manufacturers… Read more: NPSA Launches 2026 Counter-UAS Equipment Evaluations for UK Manufacturers

By DroneLife Features Editor Jim Magill Palladyne AI, an artificial intelligence and machine-learning software company, which recently launched a defense arm to develop AI-enabled drone systems for use in warfare, is committed to keeping humans in the loop regarding combat decisions, according to the company’s leader. “With our AI platforms, humans are able to supervise,… Read more: Palladyne AI’s Defense Technology Keeps Humans in the Loop

U.S. drone manufacturer Skydio has reached a new milestone, with its aircraft now deployed in more than 1,000 public safety agencies across the country. The company shared the news with DRONELIFE and noted that agencies range from major departments such as the New York Police Department and the San Francisco Police Department to small rural… Read more: Skydio Reaches Deployment in More Than 1,000 Public Safety Agencies as DFR Adoption Accelerates in the U.S.

First Breach, Inc. has announced a joint venture with ideaForge Technology Limited to manufacture and distribute dual-use unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States, marking a notable example of international drone manufacturers turning to US-based production capabilities to address market demand and regulatory requirements. US Drone Manufacturing Facility in Maryland The newly formed entity, First… Read more: First Breach and ideaForge Establish US Drone Manufacturing Partnership

From humble beginnings, Laredo PD launches DFR program By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Over the past decade or so, the police department in the border city of Laredo, Texas has seen its drone program grow from operating a single low-tech UAV to a full-fledged drone as first responder (DFR) program, which will involve six… Read more: From One Drone to a Citywide DFR Network: Laredo PD’s Journey

Drone team finds new way to use thermal imaging in disaster response By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill The search for a victim who was swept away by the massive floodwaters that inundated parts of Central Texas earlier this month has led to the development of an innovative use of drone mapping technology, which could… Read more: New Thermal Drone Technique Emerges from Tragic Texas Flood