Department of Homeland Security
Every UASFeed story on Department of Homeland Security — across defense, counter-UAS, industry, commercial, policy, and tech, newest first.
-
Policy & Regulation
FCC Turns Wartime Drone Import Exemptions Into a Permanent Compliance Framework
The FCC quietly removed the 2026 sunset date on Conditional Approval exemptions from its Covered List, turning what was billed as a temporary bridge for foreign-made drones into an open-ended compliance regime.
-
Commercial & Delivery
Archer's Halo: The Commercial Twin of Anduril's Thunder Bets on Uncrewed Heavy Cargo VTOL
Archer unveiled Halo, an autonomous hybrid-electric cargo VTOL sharing its airframe and powertrain with Anduril's Thunder attack tiltrotor — but with no published payload or range figures, its credibility rests on Anduril's half-billion in FY2026 contracts, not Archer's $2M federal record.
-
Industry & Contracts
Skydio Gets Its Whole Lineup Cleared — Including the First Blue UAS Drone-in-a-Box for DFR
Skydio's X10, Dock for X10 and R10 joined the Blue UAS Cleared List on 23 July 2026, making its entire lineup cleared and the Dock the first Blue UAS-cleared drone-as-first-responder system — unlocking Byrne JAG, COPS and HSGP grant money just as the list itself moves from DIU to DCMA.
-
Policy & Regulation
The FCC Is About to Make DJI Impossible to Buy on Amazon — and Every Wireless Gadget Harder to Fake
The FCC votes July 22, 2026 on a Third Report and Order requiring marketplaces like Amazon to show FCC IDs at checkout and closing a "logic-bearing hardware" loophole that let Covered List components, including DJI's, back into U.S. commerce.
-
Counter-UAS
Counter-UAS Technology Compared: Kinetic, RF Jamming, High-Power Microwave, Laser, and Net Interceptors
A side-by-side comparison of the five ways drones are actually defeated today — kinetic interceptors, RF/GPS jamming, high-power microwave, directed-energy lasers, and net-capture systems — with range, cost per engagement, tradeoffs, and who's legally allowed to use each under SAFER SKIES.
-
Policy & Regulation
DHS and DOJ Issue Interim Final Rule Letting State and Local Police Detect, Track and Take Down Drones
A new joint DHS/DOJ interim final rule, effective July 1, 2026, hands state, local, Tribal and territorial police and correctional agencies detection and — for the first time — drone mitigation authority, with public comment open through September 4.
-
Policy & Regulation
DHS, DOJ and FCC Finalize SAFER SKIES Act Rules Giving Local Police Counter-Drone Authority
A new Interim Final Rule, effective July 1 and published July 6, 2026, lets trained state, local, Tribal and territorial agencies detect, track, disable or seize drones — backed by FCC spectrum actions and a mandatory FBI training course at Redstone Arsenal.
-
Commercial & Delivery
Drone Industry's Next Bottleneck Isn't Airframes — It's Battery Cells, and China Owns Them
A July 7 industry op-ed warns China controls 75-85% of global lithium-ion cell capacity and 99% of spherical graphite anode material, just as FY2024 and FY2026 NDAA bans on six Chinese battery makers begin phasing in against Pentagon drone purchases.
-
Counter-UAS
TSA: Agencies Have Seized More Than 600 Rogue Drones Across World Cup Host Cities
TSA says federal and local agencies have confiscated over 600 illegal drones near FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums since June 11 — double the total reported just two weeks earlier — with Kansas City, Seattle and San Francisco leading the tally.
-
Policy & Regulation
Nearly 1 Million Comments Force FAA to Push Back Its Critical-Infrastructure Drone Rule Deadline
Swamped with nearly 900,000 public comments, the FAA has extended the deadline on its Section 2209 critical-infrastructure drone rule from July 6 to August 5, 2026.
-
Policy & Regulation
The SAFER SKIES Rule Goes Live: Cops Can Now Legally Down Drones — If They Pass the FBI Schoolhouse First
A DOJ/DHS interim final rule effective July 1 lets state, local, tribal, territorial and correctional agencies detect, track and shoot down drones — but only after FBI certification, which is also the gate to a $500M grant pool.
-
Policy & Regulation
The Drone Lobby Storms Capitol Hill: Adversarial-UAS Bans, Counter-UAS Authority, and a $70B FY27 Bet
At AUVSI's June 24 Hill Day, 100+ industry leaders ran 90+ meetings to push procurement bans on adversarial-nation drones, more DHS counter-UAS grants, and permanent Blue/Green UAS pathways — as core DoD C-UAS authority nears its Dec. 31 sunset and FY27 steers $70B+ to drone dominance.
