Public Safety

Saildrone mission highlights growing role of uncrewed systems in maritime security A Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicle (USV) helped the U.S. Navy track a suspected drug-smuggling vessel that was later intercepted in the Caribbean, leading to the seizure of approximately $81 million worth of cocaine. The operation demonstrates how autonomous maritime systems are moving from… Read more: How Autonomous Surface Vessels Helped the U.S. Navy Seize $81 Million in Cocaine

With the FIFA World Cup tournament and most of the big celebrations of America’s 250th birthday now in the rear-view mirror, law enforcement agencies, local government officials and infrastructure owners have gotten a wake-up call as to the importance of being able to identify and track drones in their airspace. Most counter-UAS experts agree on… Read more: Ericsson, AT&T Use Cellular Data to Detect Drones

Elistair’s Khronos DroneBox integrates with Exail’s DriX unmanned surface vessel to give operators a shore-controlled, persistent view from the deck up.   Elistair and Exail have partnered to integrate the Khronos automated tethered DroneBox on Exail’s DriX unmanned surface vessel, delivering tethered drone maritime surveillance from an autonomous platform. The pairing gives naval, coast guard… Read more: Elistair and Exail Bring Tethered Drone Maritime Surveillance to Autonomous Vessels

Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs are reshaping how law enforcement agencies gather information and respond to emergencies. In this guest commentary, former police chief Mike Moulton shares his perspective on why DFR represents the most significant advance in police situational awareness since the introduction of the police radio, while offering a practical assessment of… Read more: Drone as First Responder – and the 3 Questions Every Police Leader Should Ask Before Funding a Program

How Titan Protection Is Scaling Drone Operations, on this episode of the Drone Radio Show! Ryan Smith speaks with host Randy Goers about Titan Protection’s approach to security, what makes the company different in a rapidly growing market, and how drones are evolving from specialized tools into native components of modern security operations. We’ll also… Read more: The Future of Security: Titan Protection on the Drone Radio Show!

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill Federal officials on Monday urged drone operators to stay away from Lumen Field, which will be temporarily named Seattle Stadium, as it serves as the site of six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, over the next several weeks. “We’re putting the word out there to recreational drone users that… Read more: Seattle Stadium “No-Drone Zone” During FIFA Matches

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill (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.) Federal, state and local officials are closely… Read more: FBI, Atlanta PD Stress Need for ‘No-Drone Zone’ Compliance

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill Texas DPS deploys counter-drone tech for World Cup. (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… Read more: Texas DPS Launches Counter-UAS Strategy for World Cup

The Bay Area autonomous maritime company brings persistent surveillance to the Great Lakes and Northeast under a $15.5 million Coast Guard contract. Saildrone is deploying 16 Voyager unmanned surface vehicles in support of US Coast Guard missions across the Great Lakes and the Northeast. The Alameda, California-based company announced the deployment on May 11, 2026.… Read more: Saildrone Deploys 16 Voyager USVs for Coast Guard Great Lakes Mission

The Fort Worth aeronautics company validates its low-drag airframe at Spaceport America in support of DARPA’s Energy Web Aircraft program. Otto Aerospace has completed a flight-test campaign for its unmanned laminar-flow drone at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company announced the milestone on May 6, 2026, from White Sands Missile Range. The campaign validated… Read more: Laminar-Flow Drone From Otto Aerospace Clears Flight-Test Campaign for DARPA

Long-awaited proposal aims to balance security and access in low-altitude airspace The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a long-anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to restrict unauthorized drone operations over certain fixed site facilities, marking a significant step in implementing Section 2209 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016. The proposal,… Read more: FAA Advances Long-Delayed Rule to Restrict Drones Over Sensitive Sites

Funding led by NATO Innovation Fund supports growth in defense, AI, and dual-use applications Kelluu, a Finnish deep tech company, has raised €15 million in Series A funding to expand its autonomous airship platform and scale international operations. The round was led by the NATO Innovation Fund, marking its first investment in a Finnish company.… Read more: Bridging the Gap: Kelluu’s Airships Sit Between Drones and Satellites

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill An extensive package of drone-related legislation, ranging from bills that would restrict the use of foreign-made drones by public agencies to legislation to limit drone flights over public property, is sailing through the Michigan State Legislature. The legislation, which includes 15 different bills to regulate various aspects of drone… Read more: Michigan Pushes Sweeping Drone Legislation Package Through State Legislature

 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