United States – October 29, 2026 -- Section 848 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act restricts the U.S. Department of Defense from operating or procuring certain drones tied to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, and its reach extends past the aircraft's assembly location to components, software and data services.
Section 848 covers flight controllers, radios, cameras and data storage
A drone assembled in the United States or another approved country is not automatically NDAA compliant. Restricted components, software or data services used elsewhere in the system can disqualify it. Buyers must trace the origin of flight controllers, radios, data-transmission devices, cameras and gimbals. Ground-control systems, operating software, network connectivity and data storage also affect compliance.
Green UAS became a recognized path to Blue UAS Cleared status in July 2025
The Blue List, now managed by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), identifies unmanned systems and components approved for Department of Defense procurement and operation. Because status changes as manufacturers complete reviews, buyers should check the official list rather than rely on marketing materials or older documentation.
Green UAS is an industry-led certification run by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). It evaluates cybersecurity, supply-chain integrity and trusted components. In July 2025, the Defense Innovation Unit formally recognized the Green UAS process as an accepted pathway to Blue UAS Cleared status. Neither designation removes the need to review an agency's own procurement rules and contract conditions.
American Security Drone Act adds FAR Subpart 40.2 limits for executive agencies
Section 848 applies specifically to the Department of Defense. Other federal buyers face the American Security Drone Act of 2023 (ASDA), implemented through Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 40.2. Executive agencies generally cannot acquire a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system unless an exemption, exception or waiver applies. A FASC-prohibited system is one manufactured or assembled by an ASDA-covered foreign entity. The Federal Acquisition Security Council maintains the covered-entity list, published through SAM.gov. The rules also address certain UAS operating services and the use of federal funds for UAS procurement and operations.
Buying a non-compliant system can bring procurement delays, added costs, contract complications, or a drone that cannot be used or funded as planned.
State and local agencies may impose separate drone restrictions
States and local jurisdictions can set their own rules on manufacturers, countries of concern, cybersecurity and government funds. These apply to purchases by state, county and city bodies, police and fire departments, and emergency management agencies. A drone that meets one federal requirement may still need review under state or local rules.
Buyers should verify model-level claims against the official Blue UAS list
A product family can include different aircraft, radios, controllers, payloads and software configurations, each of which can change compliance. Buyers should confirm the exact model covered by a manufacturer's NDAA claim and request origin details for components, software, communications systems and data storage. A general NDAA claim does not automatically satisfy every requirement in a given solicitation.
Volatus Aerospace lists the Inspired Flight fleet of American-made UAS as NDAA compliant and Blue sUAS certified. It also lists the Vantage Robotics TRACE, a nano UAS with AES-256 encryption designed for tactical and GPS-denied environments, as NDAA compliant.