UNCREWED UPDATE By AUVSI
Trusted Hardware, BVLOS
and What’s Next for Operators and Public Safety in UAS
The decisions that determine where you can fly, what hardware your agency can procure, and how the next generation of uncrewed aircraft get certified are being made right now. On June 24, more than 100 industry leaders made sure Congress heard from the people with the most at stake. At AUVSI’s 2026 Hill Day, more than 90 meetings with members of Congress and their staff in a single day sent an unmistakable signal: the operators, manufacturers and professionals deploying these systems in the field have specific, urgent asks, and they showed up to deliver them in person.
Trusted Hardware, Funded Procurement
For operators across public safety, infrastructure inspection, and commercial deployment, two priorities rose above the rest. The first is domestic manufacturing. The American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act would phase out adversary-made drones from public safety missions and fund domestic procurement and production. In tandem, AUVSI members called on the executive branch’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to fully implement the government-wide procurement ban on Chinese-made UAS hardware and software already established under the American Security Drone Act, backed by third-party validation to guard against People’s Republic of China influence. With U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counter-UAS funding, including support for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) grant programs, the message is clear: agencies and operators need secure, American-made hardware they can actually afford to field at scale.
The Operational Unlock: BVLOS
The second priority is more consequential for day-to-day operations: the long-awaited finalization of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking. AUVSI members urged Congress to hold the FAA accountable for finalizing Parts 108 and 146, with a workable transition pathway and reasonable security provisions. For search and rescue teams, infrastructure inspectors, agricultural operators and any program waiting to scale beyond visual line of sight, this rule is the single biggest operational unlock on the table. Alongside it, the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act aims to bring much-needed certainty to the FAA’s type certification process for emerging aircraft, including electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) and advanced air mobility platforms – the next generation of tools this community will fly.
Congress is Paying Attention
Perhaps more than the number of meetings, it was who showed up to listen that spoke volumes. Rep. Eugene Vindman (Va.), a 25-year Army
20 July/Aug 2026
veteran, joined AUVSI’s Hill Day participants for breakfast and spoke directly to the urgency of fielding capable systems at scale. “Drones have already reshaped the modern battlefield,” said Vindman, “but the U.S. is way behind on fielding drones.” The acknowledgement carries particular weight coming from a combat veteran and sitting congressman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. For public safety operators making the case that domestic drone capacity matters, that kind of alignment on the Hill is meaningful.
Over lunch, Senator Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) brought a complementary perspective, zeroing in on supply-chain security, domestic manufacturing, and the everyday missions where drones are proving their value, including farming and search and rescue. The policy conversations happening on Capitol Hill have direct consequences for the operators and agencies on the ground. Days like this one are how the industry makes sure that connection doesn’t get lost.
Policy Window is Open
The rules governing where drones can fly, what hardware agencies can procure, and how new uncrewed aircraft get certified will shape what’s possible for years to come. AUVSI and its members will continue working with lawmakers and federal agencies to make sure the industry’s voice stays in the room where those decisions get made.
AUVSI: Your Partner for the Future of Secure Autonomy Becoming an AUVSI member gives you exclusive access to a wealth of ideas, people, and strategies that can elevate your work. Our extensive community includes over 450 leading organizations and thousands of world-class professionals in the defense, civil and commercial markets. AUVSI members benefit from special pricing for AUVSI Trusted Cyber and Green UAS drone platform and component certifications.
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