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New integration gives fire departments access to drone locations, live video, and thermal imagery within their existing incident command software. By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill An incident commander at the scene of a major fire must be able to rapidly collect and coordinate multiple pieces of intelligence in order to effectively direct various fire-fighting… Read more: Fire Commanders Can See Drone Locations and Live Video in One Place with New Skydio Partnership

A 100-drone holiday show launched a partnership among the City of Mesa, Arizona State University and Pulse Drone Light Shows that puts students at the center of real production work. Pulse Drone Light Shows has published a case study on its 100-drone show for the City of Mesa’s Merry Main Street celebration, which took place… Read more: ASU Students Design Drone Light Show for Mesa’s Merry Main Street

The business combination values the cargo drone developer at $400 million before new money. Dronamics plans to use the proceeds to scale Black Swan production and launch U.S. operations. Dronamics Group Limited and GP-Act III Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: GPAT), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced on November 4, 2026 a definitive business combination… Read more: Dronamics to Go Public on Nasdaq Through Merger

The integration syncs Pilot Institute certificates and their associated skills into AirData, alongside the flight records that pilots and fleet managers already keep there. AirData UAV and Pilot Institute have announced an integration that automatically syncs pilot training records and skills into AirData. With the link in place, pilots can keep their qualifications in the… Read more: AirData and Pilot Institute Integration Automates Drone Pilot Training Records

New Army testing events give drone manufacturers access to realistic GPS jamming and communications interference, with three sessions scheduled for 2027. The U.S. Army is expanding opportunities for commercial drone companies to test their technology under realistic electronic warfare conditions. The program allows developers to evaluate how their systems perform when GPS signals fail or… Read more: Can Commercial Drones Survive Electronic Warfare? U.S. Army Expands Testing Opportunities

New agreement advances the commercial infrastructure needed to deliver and manage satellite communications for drones and advanced air mobility Galaxy 1 Communications and Viasat have announced a new agreement to expand commercial support for Viasat’s Velaris satellite communications platform. The agreement follows two years of joint development, integration, and testing. The companies will move their… Read more: Satellite Connectivity for Drones Moves Closer to Commercial Scale

New FlexiQuad design could improve drone operations in confined spaces, search and rescue missions, and challenging environments. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a flexible drone that can collide with obstacles and continue flying. The design could help drones operate in environments where avoiding every obstacle is difficult or impossible. The drone, called FlexiQuad, uses… Read more: ETH Zurich Develops Flexible Drone That Can Survive Collisions

Integration helps defense organizations process thousands of high-resolution aerial images faster, reducing manual work and speeding up map production. SimActive has announced an integrated workflow with Phase One aerial imaging systems to speed up large-scale mapping for defense applications. The solution combines Phase One’s high-resolution imagery with SimActive’s Correlator3D software to process large volumes of… Read more: SimActive and Phase One Streamline Large-Scale Defense Mapping

The Madrid company, which builds unmanned tactical helicopters, will use the funds for a new production plant, more staff and faster platform development as it expands abroad. Alpha Unmanned Systems, a Madrid-based developer and manufacturer of unmanned tactical helicopters and dual-use subsystems, announced on November 3, 2026 that it has closed a €4 million (about… Read more: Alpha Unmanned Systems Closes €4 Million Financing Round

The heavy-lift aircraft flew more than 50 miles during the corridor’s opening event at Terre Haute. Purdue will make it available to test emergency supply drops for flood-affected communities. Windracers announced on November 2, 2026 that a Windracers ULTRA autonomous aircraft owned by Purdue University was the first autonomous aircraft to complete a beyond visual… Read more: Purdue’s Windracers ULTRA First Flyer in Indiana Drone Corridor

Foreign manufacturers are pursuing U.S. production, domestic companies are attracting investment, and Pentagon orders are growing. But can the industry achieve lasting scale? News and Commentary. The Trump administration has made domestic drone manufacturing a national security priority. New restrictions on foreign-produced drones, increased defense procurement, and efforts to strengthen U.S. supply chains are intended… Read more: Is Trump’s Plan to Build a U.S. Drone Industry Working?

Police are appealing for witnesses after multiple drones entered restricted airspace on October 30 and 31. The Government of Jersey says it is exploring enhanced detection and counter-drone technology with UK authorities. Unauthorized drone activity near Jersey Airport disrupted flights in the Channel Islands on the evenings of Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31,… Read more: Drone Activity Disrupts Jersey Airport for Two Consecutive Nights

The new robotic and autonomous systems portfolio office will host a cargo drone demonstration in Huntsville in early 2027. Strong performers could receive Other Transaction prototype agreements. The Department of the Navy’s Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (DRPM RAS) is seeking industry participants for a cargo drone demonstration supporting the Marine… Read more: Navy DRPM RAS Seeks Cargo Drones for Marine Corps

Three subscription tiers bring mapping, terrain analysis, lidar processing, and photogrammetry tools into a unified offering. Blue Marble Geographics has introduced a new subscription model for its Global Mapper software, bringing previously separate geospatial tools and services into a single offering. The new Global Mapper subscription provides three tiers: Essentials, Advanced, and Professional. Each offers… Read more: Blue Marble Geographics Introduces New Global Mapper Subscription for GIS and Drone Mapping

New national consortium aims to reduce production costs and speed commercialization of advanced batteries, including those used in drones. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a new national consortium to improve domestic battery manufacturing. The initiative could help address a key challenge for the U.S. drone industry: building a reliable and competitive domestic… Read more: DOE Launches Battery Manufacturing Initiative to Strengthen U.S. Supply Chain

Nationwide funding supports counter-UAS capabilities for state and local agencies, but questions remain about whether the funding will meet demand. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting applications for $250 million in counter-drone grants under its Fiscal Year 2027 Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program. Applications are due November 16, 2026, at 5 p.m.… Read more: FEMA’s $250 Million Counter-Drone Grant Deadline Approaches: Applications Due November 16

New distribution agreement could give Matternet a competitive advantage in hospital drone delivery by leveraging an established healthcare sales network. Matternet has announced a partnership with TransLogic, a Swisslog Healthcare company, that could significantly expand its reach in the hospital drone delivery market. Under the agreement, TransLogic’s sales team will offer Matternet’s drone delivery systems… Read more: Matternet Gains Access to More Than 2,300 North American Hospitals Through Swisslog Healthcare Partnership

New rules remove a decades-old restriction on airborne use of the 800 MHz Cellular band. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on October 29 to remove a longstanding restriction on drone use of the 800 MHz Cellular band. The decision opens 50 megahertz of licensed spectrum for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The new rules allow… Read more: FCC Opens 50 MHz of Cellular Spectrum for Drone Operations

New flight software reduces modeled sound exposure by 68%, addressing a growing concern as drone delivery expands into residential areas. Drone delivery company Zipline has announced new flight technology designed to make its aircraft quieter. The update comes as some drone delivery operators face growing community concerns about noise and other impacts on residential neighborhoods.… Read more: Zipline Announces Quieter Drone Deliveries as Communities Raise Noise Concerns

November vote would expand low-altitude aviation data links, support drone-detection radar, and update satellite connectivity rules. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will consider new rules to support drone communications and counter-drone detection at its November 19 open meeting. The proposals would expand access to radio spectrum for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), advanced air mobility, and… Read more: FCC Proposes New Rules for Drone Communications and Counter-Drone Radar