News

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.     Researchers at the University of Tokyo say drone imagery, machine learning, and a growth curve model can estimate underground potato yield before harvest. Researchers at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Kubota Corporation have developed… Read more: University of Tokyo and Kubota Develop Drone Potato Yield Prediction Method

New Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager will consolidate acquisition, standards, budgeting, and industry engagement for drone and autonomous programs The U.S. Department of War announced on July 1 a major reorganization of its unmanned systems enterprise, creating a new Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) that will oversee the Department’s drone and autonomous systems… Read more: Department of War Creates Central Office to Oversee U.S. Military Unmanned Systems

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating after the crew of a JetBlue flight reported striking what they believed was a drone while approaching New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 29. According to the FAA, the pilot of JetBlue Flight 948, an Airbus A321 arriving from Las Vegas, reported the encounter at… Read more: FAA Investigating Reported Drone Encounter on JetBlue Flight Approaching JFK

Versaterm on the Drone Radio Show! In this episode, Ryan Bracken explains how Versaterm’s acquisition of DroneSense is helping agencies move beyond standalone drone programs by integrating drones directly into cad and dispatch workflows. We discuss what successful drone programs have in common, how agencies can build sustainable operations while working within budget constraints, the… Read more: Versaterm on the Drone Radio Show! Next Level Integration of Drones into Public Safety

Experts weigh in on extension of 2209 comment period By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill With almost 1 million comments submitted to date, the FAA has extended for a month the comment period on a proposed regulation that would create a path for owners and operators of critical infrastructure to seek flight restrictions over their… Read more: Nearly One Million Comments Underscore Stakes of FAA’s Section 2209 Rule

The North Dakota UAS Council has added the Grand Forks Downtown Development Association as its newest member, linking the state’s drone industry to its downtown community. The North Dakota UAS Council has welcomed the Grand Forks Downtown Development Association (DDA) as its newest member, according to a June 9 announcement from the council. The council… Read more: ND UAS Council Adds Grand Forks DDA to Strengthen Drone Ecosystem

Parks and Wildlife Service staff have returned to Browse Island Nature Reserve for a follow-up survey and found no signs of surviving mice, according to DBCA. Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has released results from an April 2026 return visit to Browse Island Nature Reserve, where the agency’s Parks and Wildlife… Read more: World-First Drone Mouse Eradication Passes Six-Month Check on Browse Island

Rather than focusing primarily on buying new drones, the House Armed Services Committee is proposing the standards, training, doctrine, and sustainment needed to make unmanned systems a permanent part of the U.S. military. For much of the past five years, congressional action on military drones has focused on procurement, supply chain security, and reducing dependence… Read more: House FY27 NDAA Signals Drones Have Become Core Military Infrastructure

Join us Tuesday, July 7 at 3pm EST for the next edition of the Public Safety Drone Review, presented by DRONELIFE and DRONERESPONDERS.. Register here for the free webcast: Public Safety Drone Review Registration Hosted by DRONELIFE Editor in Chief Miriam McNabb, DRONERESPONDERS Director Charles Werner, and public safety aviation expert Mike O’Shea, the monthly… Read more: Don’t Miss AirWise Solutions on the Public Safety Drone Review, July 7!

Pilot program combines aerial LiDAR and construction scheduling to provide more accurate progress tracking and improve safety on major transportation infrastructure As construction continues on the final phase of North Carolina’s Complete 540 project, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) is using drone-based LiDAR to gain a more detailed view of construction progress while reducing… Read more: North Carolina Turnpike Authority Uses Drone LiDAR to Improve Oversight on Complete 540 Project

New software stack combines AI, thermal imaging, and computational imaging to improve ground-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance Teledyne FLIR OEM has introduced Prism™ Ground ISR, a new AI-powered software stack designed to improve ground-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The new release extends the company’s Prism software family beyond counter-drone applications and brings advanced… Read more: Teledyne FLIR OEM Expands Prism AI Platform with Ground ISR Software for Military Target Classification

INKAS Expands North American Manufacturing with New Facilities in Canada and the U.S. Company says new production sites will more than double manufacturing space and support growth across armored vehicles, unmanned systems, and special-purpose platforms Toronto-based INKAS has announced a major expansion of its North American manufacturing operations, adding three new production facilities across Canada… Read more: INKAS Expansion Highlights Growing Investment in North American Defense Manufacturing

Food technology platform Wonder aims to launch aerial meal delivery in Dallas beginning in 2027 as drone delivery expands beyond pilot programs Wonder has selected Zipline to provide drone delivery for future Texas locations, marking another step in the expansion of commercial drone delivery into mainstream food service. The companies announced that customers at select… Read more: Another Major Restaurant Platform Turns to Drone Delivery

City’s DFR program financed by asset forfeiture funds By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Images: Jim Magill When the city of Conroe, Texas was considering establishing a Drones as First Responders (DFR) program, cost was a major issue. The city’s leaders solved that problem by arranging to have the bad guys pay for the program.… Read more: Conroe Police Launch DFR Program Funded by Criminal Asset Seizures

New initiative offers colleges a framework for building compliant drone programs focused on public safety, training, and governance The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) has launched a new national program designed to help colleges and universities establish drone programs for campus public safety. The association has selected Draganfly as its strategic partner… Read more: IACLEA Launches National Campus Drone Program with Draganfly

The headline is hard to miss: more than 300 drones have been seized near FIFA World Cup venues since the tournament began on June 11. For many readers, that number suggests an escalating drone security problem. But a closer look tells a more nuanced story. The growing seizure count may say less about an increase… Read more: Beyond the Numbers: What 300 World Cup Drone Seizures Really Tell Us

On this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Lavera Alexander of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership discusses why the future of advanced air mobility depends on regional collaboration, airport infrastructure, and economic development as much as aircraft technology. Listen here: Lavera Alexander is Chief Growth Officer at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MPED).  MBEP is a… Read more: Who Builds the Sky? How Regional Partnerships Are Creating the Infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility

New research facility signals shift from policy development to operational readiness The Federal Aviation Administration is taking another step toward integrating advanced air mobility (AAM) into the National Airspace System (NAS), breaking ground this week on a dedicated research facility designed to study how the next generation of vertical flight aircraft will safely operate alongside… Read more: FAA Moves from Planning to Building for Advanced Air Mobility

Texas-based company expands offshore cargo operations while preparing for the next phase of U.S. BVLOS regulations By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill While many drone service providers like to tout their latest innovations and brag on the abilities of their aircraft to handle a variety of missions, Austin-based Skyways Aviation has spent the better part… Read more: How Skyways Quietly Built a Global Heavy-Lift Drone Business

New White House strategy frames commercial drones as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, infrastructure, and supply chain resilience The White House’s newly released National Resilience Strategy mentions the commercial drone industry only once. Yet that single reference may provide the clearest explanation to date of how the Administration views drones within… Read more: National Resilience Strategy Connects the Dots Behind U.S. Drone Policy