dronelife

The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector, long heralded as the future of urban transportation, finds itself at an inflection point in mid-2025. Headlines today (August 12, 2025) point out that Archer Aviation’s stock fell based on quarterly numbers – but many articles also pointed out that on the whole, Wall Street doesn’t find […] The post Will Military Applications Be the Catalyst for eVTOL Industry Growth? appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Laws proposed to encourage production, export of drones for defense By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation that would make it easier to produce U.S.-made drones for the Department of Defense (DOD) and to export military drones produced in the United States to friendly countries. A bipartisan bill, the Leading Exports […] The post Congress Moves to Fast-Track U.S. Military Drone Production and Exports: LEAD Act appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The U.S. Army is launching a new digital “marketplace” to help match unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with warfighter needs based on mission requirements and verified performance data, says a recent article in DefenseScoop. A Strategic Pivot Toward Speed and Transparency The Army’s forthcoming UAS marketplace represents a fundamental shift away from traditional acquisition models. Instead […] The post U.S. Military Accelerates Drone Deployment via New Marketplace Initiative appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Collaboration aims to establish Korean production base and advance autonomous aerial defense systems in the region Korean Air has signed a new technical agreement with U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries to co-develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Asia-Pacific market. The partnership combines Korean Air’s integrated UAV system expertise with Anduril’s advanced AI and […] The post Korean Air and Anduril Partner on AI-Powered UAV Development for Asia-Pacific appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

DRONELIFE is pleased to present this guest post by Matt Sloane, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of SkyfireAI. As a prominent figure in the drone industry, Matt brings a wealth of expertise and firsthand experience to the table. Matt’s done the deep dive on the BVLOS NPRM: here’s his summary of what’s most important for drone […] The post Matt Sloane Read the Entire FAA Part 108 NPRM So You Don’t Have To—Here’s What Actually Matters appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

As DoD accelerates drone procurement, DIU’s vetted manufacturing marketplace bridges the gap between innovation and industrial scale. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has unveiled the Blue Manufacturing Initiative, aimed at forging direct links between defense technology developers and pre‑vetted, advanced manufacturing providers. According to DIU, the initiative “will focus on pairing the very best hardware […] The post DIU’s Blue Manufacturing Initiative: Powering U.S. Drone Production Through Trusted Manufacturing appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Unifly, a provider of UTM technology and part of the Terra Drone Group, has teamed up with Skyports Drone Services for a groundbreaking drone trial in Belgium. The project is one of the first real-life demonstrations in Europe where drones fly across borders to deliver emergency medical supplies safely and legally. Drones Speed Up Medical […] The post Unifly Powers Medical Drone Deliveries in Belgium in First-of-Its-Kind European Trial appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Hallowell, ME-based mapping company Blue Marble Geographics will host a free webinar on Thursday, August 21, at 10:00 AM EDT, focusing on bathymetry and terrain analysis with their software Global Mapper Pro. This event, which also serves as the debut live show of the GEOTalks Podcast, aims to help participants understand how geographic information system […] The post Blue Marble Geographics Offers Live Webinar on Bathymetry and Terrain Analysis appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

China’s AutoFlight achieves a world-first with certified heavy-lift eVTOL drone, paving the way for large-scale low-altitude operations. Historic Delivery of Certified Heavy-Lift eVTOL Shanghai-based advanced air mobility company AutoFlight has made aviation history by delivering the world’s first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with a maximum take-off weight exceeding one ton. The aircraft, […] The post AutoFlight Delivers World’s First One-Ton eVTOL Aircraft with Full Airworthiness Certification appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

George Matus founded Teal Drones in 2015 at just 18 years old, turning a high-school passion into a company recognized for its fast, modular drones with onboard computing power. Matus built Teal to deliver high-performance platforms for both consumer and enterprise markets. His early work earned him a Thiel Fellowship and a spot on Forbes’ […] The post Teal Drones Founder Faces Lawsuit from Former Company Over Trade Secret Dispute appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Webinar to Offer Strategies for Streamlining Large-Scale Geospatial Data Processing SimActive Inc., a leading developer of photogrammetry software, will host a live webinar focused on managing multiple large-scale mapping projects at once. The session will take place online and is open to professionals interested in learning how to streamline complex workflows in geospatial production environments. […] The post Managing Multiple Photogrammetry Projects: SimActive Hosts Expert Webinar appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

U.S. Military Drone Policy Gets a Shakeup: What’s Working—and What Still Needs Fixing Faster, Leaner, More Tactical: The Good News A recent policy shift by the Department of Defense marks a major turning point in how the U.S. military approaches drones. Prompted by a June 2025 executive order, the Pentagon is now treating drones more […] The post Heritage Foundation Says US Couldn’t Win a Drone War with China: Here’s Why. appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

New development agreement aims to strengthen domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets powering next-gen drone and defense propulsion systems Laconia, New Hampshire-based propulsion developer ePropelled recently announced a joint development agreement with Oklahoma-based USA Rare Earth to develop a strategic supply and purchase relationship providing sintered neo magnets for use in ePropelled’s range of […] The post ePropelled and USA Rare Earth Partner to Secure U.S. Magnet Supply for Uncrewed Systems appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published its long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations, signaling a pivotal shift for the U.S. commercial drone industry. Announced today, August 5, 2025 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, this proposed framework is expected to enable routine BVLOS activities—from […] The post 10 Initial Takeaways from the FAA’s BVLOS Drone NPRM: What Operators Need to Know appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy unveiled the long-anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations, marking a pivotal moment for uncrewed aviation in the United States. This proposed rule, once finalized, is expected to provide the regulatory clarity and operational framework that the commercial drone sector has […] The post FAA Publishes BVLOS NPRM: A Watershed Moment for the Drone Industry appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Company Showcases Role of Remote ID in National Security at Executive-Level Homeland Security Demonstration Pierce Aerospace Joins Homeland Security Demonstration Pierce Aerospace took part in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) technology demonstration held July 24–25, 2025, at the CBP Unmanned Technology Operations Center in Summit Point, West Virginia. The […] The post Pierce Aerospace Demonstrates Remote ID Capabilities at DHS C-UAS Event appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Acquisition strengthens Destinus’ position in defense and civil drone markets amid rising investment in AI-powered autonomy Destinus to Acquire AI Leader Daedalean for $225 Million Destinus Group BV, a European developer of flight systems, has announced a binding agreement to acquire Zurich-based Daedalean AG for CHF 180 million (approximately USD 225 million). The deal includes […] The post Destinus Acquires Daedalean to Advance AI Flight Systems appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

VTOL AS-H1 Designed to Deliver Critical Aid in Tsunami and Earthquake Zones This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association. As communities across the Pacific grapple with the recent tsunami warnings, Japan’s AeroSense recently unveiled a powerful new drone tailored for disaster rescue missions. The AS-H1, their latest unmanned aerial […] The post AeroSense Launches Long-Range Rescue Drone for Disaster Response appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Company Refocuses on Core Thermal Imaging and Software Technologies Teledyne FLIR to Discontinue SIRAS Drone Sales Teledyne FLIR OEM has announced that it will stop selling its SIRAS professional drone by August 31, 2025. The company will continue to provide warranty service, parts, and technical support for existing customers through September 30, 2027. SIRAS was […] The post Teledyne FLIR OEM Ends Sales of SIRAS Drone appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Vantis and iSight Drone Services bring real-world drone innovation to rural healthcare through Project RuralReach A Breakthrough for Rural Medical Delivery In a major step forward for drone-based logistics, North Dakota has completed a long-distance drone delivery of medical supplies—flying over 80 miles beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) from Williston to Watford City. The […] The post North Dakota Completes Historic 80-Mile BVLOS Medical Drone Delivery appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Texas Parks and Wildlife aids search, rescue effort in flood disaster By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill In a first of its kind rescue mission for their agency, a drone operated by Texas state officials delivered a life jacket to a woman who was trapped on the roof of a house that had been all […] The post Drones Deliver Hope: How Texas Wildlife Officials Used UAVs to Aid Flood Victims appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Rebranded Strata to Focus Solely on Medical Logistics and Services Blade Air Mobility has announced it will sell its passenger division to Joby Aviation for up to $125 million. The move marks a major shift for Blade, which will now focus entirely on its growing medical transport and logistics business. The restructured company will rebrand […] The post Blade to Sell Passenger Division to Joby Aviation appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

As the debate over proposed bans on Chinese drone platforms continues, we present this guest post from Michael Thompson, drone pilot, FAA Safety Team representative and the founder and lead instructor of a drone business, Connecting Skies, LLC. Here, Michael writes about how a ban on Chinese drone platforms could impact the pilots and business […] The post From the Other Side: A Small Business Owner on the Potential Impacts of a Ban on Chinese Drones appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Funding supports delivery of uncrewed cargo aircraft and personal flight vehicles as U.S. pushes advanced air mobility AIR, an aerospace company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has secured $23 million in Series A funding to support U.S. expansion, production scaling, and continued delivery of its uncrewed cargo aircraft. The round was led […] The post AIR Raises $23M to Scale U.S. Operations and Expand eVTOL Production appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The United States is now taking its broadest, most coordinated action yet to shape the future of its drone ecosystem. Through a mix of regulatory restriction—the “stick”—and an array of market-building incentives—the “carrot”—federal agencies and lawmakers are pursuing their overarching goal: building a robust, innovative, and secure U.S. drone industry while reducing national reliance on […] The post America’s Drone Ecosystem at a Crossroads: The Dual Approach to Boosting Domestic Industry and Addressing Chinese Platforms appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article