Drone Security and Competitiveness | October 11, 2024

Welcome back to AUVSI’s biweekly newsletter on issues facing the uncrewed and autonomous systems industries regarding cyber- and supply chain security and technology competitiveness in the global market.

?? New Components Certified Green

Spotlight on secure solutions: This week, AUVSI announced the addition of 4 products to the Green UAS component cleared list. This follows the recent certification of a new UAS platform as Green, which also assessed the platform’s included components:

• CubePilot Cube Purple and Cube Blue flight controllers
• ArduPilot Arducopter software
• Panasonic Toughbook Ground Control Station (GCS)

What’s next: Through a data-sharing agreement with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) , AUVSI has sent the certification results to them directly for further review and consideration for inclusion in the BlueUAS Framework.

Why it matters: AUVSI’s component assessment and certification aims to streamline cybersecurity and supply chain security reviews for component manufacturers and provide greater optionality to the industrial base and end users.

Government Updates We're Tracking: GAO Report

• What’s new: GAO recently published a report on, “Federal Lands: Effects of Interior's Policies on Foreign-Made Drones,” which found that the Department of the Interior has had trouble replacing its aging, mostly PRC drone fleet with secure, compliant platforms.
• Our analysis: The primary challenge of identified in the report—the challenge of U.S. drone companies’ ability to readily deliver on contracts for large quantities of drones—is due to the flooding of subsidized, unsecure DJI drones into the U.S. market, distorting the marketplace for non-PRC drone companies. The result has been a lack of demand signal, purchases, and investment that is needed before drone manufacturing can scale.
• What we’re saying: “Among stakeholders across many industries that extend far beyond drones, there is broad agreement that the U.S. faces a stark choice: continue to buy unsecure, subsidized technologies from PRC companies, or to invest in U.S. and allied products and support fair market competition,” writes AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins .
• Call to action: We’re advocating for the U.S. government to proactively (1) spur the growth of U.S. companies by providing grants, tax incentives, loan guarantees, and other mechanisms; and (2) support infrastructure and capital expenditures that will bolster new drone manufacturing capabilities and the associated workforce.

Transition to Secure Drone Solutions

Moolenaar, Krishnamoorthi Letter to Fairfax County

• What’s new: Bipartisan leadership of the House Select Committee on the CCP is asking Fairfax County, VA to end use of DJI drones. The lawmakers offered the county assistance to transition its fleet to secure drones that adhere to the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
• Spotlight on affordability: “We are also aware that PRC government subsidization of their drones makes it difficult for the U.S. drone market to compete on pricing, which can put financial pressure onto state and local governments,” the letter reads. "Congress has a role to play in ensuring grant programs like those administered by FEMA can better assist state and local governments to choose more secure drone options.”
• Zoom out: Fairfax County sits across the Potomac River from Washington, DC and is home to sensitive national security sites like the CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

How a ban on DJI drones could impact the Fort Wayne Police Department

• What’s new: In response to concerns being raised about the risks of reliance on PRC drones, the Fort Wayne Police Department is starting to look at other manufacturers.
• What’s next: Police Chief Scott Caudill says, “We’re looking at transitioning to products that are non DJI, but they are the industry standard right now.” He wants to replace FWPD’s aging fleet at once with non-DJI UAS, but will first have to assess budget feasibility.

Maryland police should lose their Chinese-made drones

• What they’re saying: “Some departments decry the quality of Western-made drones,” writes former Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department Captain Dan Harrington. But: “the U.S. drones that MPD acquired have functioned well and to purpose. If they work well in the sensitive airspace above DC, they will work anywhere.”
• Spotlight on capabilities: Washington, DC’s police drone program has procured the Parrot ANAFI USA drone, which is Blue UAS Cleared, made in the U.S., and designed to meet first responders' data security needs.