Executive Orders on Drones Released June 6, 2025

Two executive orders related to drones were released on Friday, June 6, 2025. This article focuses on the first order, as it’s likely the one you’re most interested in. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key points.

Unleashing American Drone Dominance

The first executive order, titled Unleashing American Drone Dominance, aims to strengthen the American Drone Industry. The document’s introduction outlines its purpose, stating:

The United States must accelerate the safe commercialization of Drone Technology and fully integrate UAS into the national airspace system. The time has come to accelerate testing, enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets.

The order is divided into 10 sections. Below, we highlight the most significant ones.

Expanding Commercial and Public Safety UAS Operations (Section 4)

Section 4 focuses on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, also known as Part 108. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is directed to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Part 108 by July 6, 2025—30 days from the executive order. A final ruling must be published by February 1, 2026, which is 240 days from the order.

Additionally, by July 6, 2025, the FAA must establish clear metrics for BVLOS performance and safety. By December 3, 2025, the FAA is tasked with identifying regulatory barriers and challenges to BVLOS implementation. These steps should ideally be in place before the NPRM is published.

Strengthening American Manufacturing (Section 7)

Section 7 emphasizes prioritizing UAS manufactured in the United States over foreign-made drones. The language shifts the perceived risk of foreign UAS from data collection to supply chain vulnerabilities. The order states:

To protect the integrity of America’s drone supply chain and ensure our technology remains secure from undue foreign influence and exploitation, by July 6, 2025, the Federal Acquisition Security Council shall publish a covered foreign entity list identifying companies that pose supply chain risks.

This “covered list” applies to federal agencies or those with federal funding, preventing them from purchasing drones from listed companies. It is distinct from the FCC list, which could ban drones like DJI for civilian use. The supply chain focus may be an easier target for anti-China advocates compared to past data collection claims.

Furthermore, by September 4, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce is directed to propose rulemaking and conduct investigations to secure the U.S. drone supply chain against foreign control or exploitation. Pessimistically, this could lead to Chinese drones, such as DJI, being added to the covered list or facing an NPRM targeting supply chain risks. However, this would only affect federally funded entities, not civilian users. Optimistically, DJI may not be considered a supplier of vital components, as the focus appears to be on parts manufacturers.

This section supports robust American manufacturing, which is positive, provided it doesn’t harm the broader drone industry.

Promoting Export of American-Made Civil UAS (Section 8)

Section 8 focuses on expediting the export of American-made civil UAS to non-adversary Countries. Proposals to achieve this include direct loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, co-financing, political risk insurance, credit guarantees, technical assistance, feasibility studies, grant mechanisms, market access facilitation, and other legally authorized incentives. If implemented transparently, this could benefit the industry.

UAS Test Ranges and National Airspace Integration (Section 5)

Section 5 orders the creation of a roadmap to integrate UAS into the national airspace system by February 1, 2026. This roadmap will support the development, testing, and scaling of American drone technology, with a focus on BVLOS, autonomous operations, advanced air mobility, and other advanced operations. This is a practical and necessary step.

Blue UAS List and NDAA Compliance (Section 9)

Section 9 addresses the Blue UAS list, relevant to those working with National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant drones. By September 2025, all NDAA-compliant drones and critical components will be added to the Blue UAS list, which will be updated monthly. For those affected, the full document provides additional details.

AI Integration for FAA Processes

The order directs the FAA to use AI tools to expedite UAS waiver application reviews by October 4, 2025. Additionally, AI will help identify operations that could be authorized without waivers through rulemaking, similar to how night operations no longer require waivers.

Conclusion

Overall, this executive order is largely positive for the drone industry. It sets clear deadlines and promotes American innovation, manufacturing, and airspace integration. However, federal deadlines are often missed, so we’ll monitor developments closely. Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned for updates.