Diyar Guldogan
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday extended exemptions allowing certain foreign-produced drones to continue receiving US authorization while launching a review that could lead to a ban on the import or sale of some foreign-made military-grade drones for commercial use.
The actions are part of the agency's broader effort to secure the US drone supply chain following national security concerns over foreign-manufactured unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), according to a fact sheet.
The FCC said it had extended until Jan. 1, 2028 exemptions for drones and critical components included on the Defense Department's Blue UAS List as well as products assembled in the US that meet Buy America requirements of at least 65% US-made components by value.
The commission also removed the expiration date entirely for foreign-produced drones and components that have received conditional approval from the Pentagon after committing to move production to the US
The FCC said the changes would provide greater certainty for manufacturers whose products have been determined not to pose national security risks.
At the same time, the commission issued a public notice seeking comment on whether to prohibit the import, marketing or sale for non-federal government use of foreign-produced military-grade drones and related components that remain on the FCC's Covered List.
The FCC added foreign-produced drones and critical drone components to its Covered List in December after the executive branch determined that they posed unacceptable national security risks, effectively barring new equipment authorizations for those products.
The agency said the restrictions have helped spur domestic investment, with more than $4 billion flowing into US-based drone manufacturing and related production since last year, supporting new factories and creating thousands of jobs, according to the fact sheet.
