New FCC Language Reveals Next Phase of Trusted Drone Policy

Latest FCC notice suggests Conditional Approval is becoming a long-term compliance framework rather than a temporary exemption program

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added two more uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) to its growing list of devices exempt from the agency’s Covered List. But the most significant development may not be the addition of two new platforms. Instead, it is new policy language that signals how the U.S. government intends to manage trusted drone manufacturers going forward.

Two More Drone Platforms Added

The latest Public Notice, released July 24, grants Conditional Approval to Exedy Globalparts Corporation’s Ayre CX and Parallel Flight Technologies‘ Firefly UAS, allowing them to be exempted from the FCC Covered List.

The FCC’s Covered List identifies communications equipment and services determined to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. In December 2025, following an Executive Branch national security determination, the FCC expanded the list to include virtually all foreign-produced UAS and critical drone components, while creating a pathway for specific products to receive exemptions based on determinations by the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Onshoring Replaces Expiration Dates

Until now, each Conditional Approval for a drone platform carried a fixed expiration date of December 31, 2026. The new notice changes that approach.

The FCC now states that Conditional Approvals for foreign-produced UAS and critical components “will not terminate on December 31, 2026, so long as the applicant complies with its approved onshoring plan and updated vetting of the products.” The notice also states that approvals will terminate if a company fails to follow its approved onshoring plan or if the government discovers false statements or misrepresentations in the application.

The change is reflected throughout the updated approval list. Previous notices listed expiration dates for every approved UAS. The July notice removes those expiration dates and instead notes that approvals remain effective as long as recipients continue to meet the government’s onshoring and compliance requirements.

A Maturing Approval Process

The revised language follows another FCC action announced on July 21, which extended exemptions for Blue UAS Cleared systems and products qualifying as domestic end products under the Buy American standard from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2028.

Taken together, the changes suggest that the Conditional Approval program is evolving beyond a series of temporary exemptions. Instead of relying on fixed expiration dates, the FCC is linking continued approval to ongoing compliance with approved manufacturing and supply chain commitments.

The July notice also continues the steady expansion of the exemption program. Since the first Conditional Approvals were announced in March, the FCC has regularly added new UAS platforms and expanded approvals for other communications equipment. The latest notice also broadens earlier approvals for certain router manufacturers by covering entire product families rather than individual models.

The latest notice brings the FCC’s published list to 17 conditionally approved UAS platforms, reflecting the steady expansion of the program since its launch in March. Taken together with the new onshoring language and the recent extension of Blue UAS and domestic-product exemptions, the changes suggest the government is moving beyond temporary exemptions toward a longer-term framework based on trusted supply chains, domestic manufacturing commitments, and continuing compliance with U.S. national security requirements.

Read more:

• FCC Eyes Next Step in Drone Supply Chain Overhaul With Proposed Sales Ban on Military-Grade Foreign Drones
• FCC Targets Eight Drone Companies With Proposed Fines Over Unanswered National Security Inquiries
• FCC Drone Exemption List Offers Clues to Trusted Supplier Requirements