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Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The White House and Department of Defense (DoD) have announced a series of new directives that will significantly impact the burgeoning domestic drone industry. This initiative, titled “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,”...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on August 7, 2025, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) related to “drones.” The notice proposes regulations to enable...more
In a landmark move to modernize U.S. drone policy, the Federal Government has released the long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to enable routine beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations. This is a...more
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy on Aug. 5, 2025, unveiled a proposed rule, "Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations" (BVLOS), to further the integration of...more
The Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for unmanned aircraft are finally here! After literally years of delay and numerous controversies, the FAA has posted a draft of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Weighing in...more
On June 6, 2025, the Trump Administration released two Executive Orders directed at uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). In broad terms, the two Executive Orders seek to expand the ability to produce and use UAS and electric...more
President Trump recently signed two Executive Orders aimed at advancing the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) and promoting U.S. drone manufacturing and export. The Orders underscore the Trump...more
On June 6, President Trump signed two executive orders (EOs) with the stated purpose of supporting the domestic drone industry, while also protecting against the threats posed by the misuse and malicious use of drones....more
On August 29, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Report and Order (R&O) regarding initial rules for drone operations in the 5 GHz spectrum band....more
On August 21, in a long-awaited action, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Report and Order (Order) establishing rules to allow limited access to spectrum in the 5030-5091 MHz band for use by...more
Our newsletter reflects the focus of Akin’s cross-practice autonomous systems and advanced mobility team on developments in the regulatory, policy, trade, intellectual property, and cybersecurity and privacy spaces....more
The military conflicts in Ukraine and Israel have highlighted the role that small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) might play in future conflicts. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (the...more
In Long Lake Township v. Maxon, the Michigan Supreme Court had the opportunity to critically consider the extent to which property owners have an inherent right to prevent unwanted drone incursions into the airspace...more
This is the week the FAA’s Remote ID requirement for drones went into full effect in the United States. “Wait a minute . . .” I can hear you saying. “The Remote ID rules went into effect back in September last year, didn’t...more
Sports fans may recall a bizarre incident in November 2023 during the Monday Night Football Ravens-Bengals matchup- a small drone made an unexpected appearance overhead at the M&T Bank Stadium, causing chaos and two delays of...more
On November 29, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a Notice of Opportunity for Public Input on the forthcoming implementation plan for the agency’s National Spectrum Strategy...more
The Fifth Circuit’s recent decision in National Press Photographers Association v. McCraw threatens to dilute the First Amendment rights of photographers and filmmakers using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and undermine...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working toward one goal when it comes to drones: get more of them safely in the air. However, right now, the FAA is without a permanent leader or a stable funding package....more
This week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that drone pilots who are unable to comply with the Remote ID Rule broadcast requirement will have until March 16, 2024, to equip their drone appropriately. If a...more
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Remote ID Rule (Remote ID) is a regulation that requires all drones registered with the FAA to be capable of broadcasting their identification and location information in real time....more
Two more companies will conduct drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved UPS Flight Forward and uAvionix for this type of operation in national...more
At the recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Drone Symposium (co-hosted by AUVSI), FAA Deputy Regional Administrator Deb Sanning discussed the impact of autonomy and AI, human/machine integration, and the strategies...more