Trump Admin Unveils Rule ’to Unleash American Drone Dominance’

The proposed regulation deals with drones being flown beyond the visual line of sight.

A DJI Mavic 3 drone flies past a U.S. government surveillance tower near the U.S.–Mexico border in Yuma, Ariz., on Sept. 27, 2022. John Moore/Getty Images

The Trump administration has announced a proposed rule on drones aimed at stimulating the U.S. drone market.

“We are going to unleash American drone dominance,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at an Aug. 5  press conference.

Duffy noted that China dominates drones with 90 percent control of the market.

“We’re turning over our skies to one of our main adversaries,” he said.

The new rule would allow people to get products such as a Starbucks cup of coffee via drone, he said, adding that it will also change energy production, farming, manufacturing, and filmmaking.

This regulation deals with drones being flown beyond the visual line of sight. It will be open to public comment for 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

“Operators in the past would have to get individual waivers to operate these drones, very complicated. They were issued on a case-by-case basis, and because of that complication, I don’t think we saw the innovation that we should have in America,” Duffy said.

“We are going to eliminate that prior process, and the approval will be done in a far different way. The rules are going to completely change the way that drone use is going to be approved, and what this is going to do is, again, allow our innovators and businesses to continue to create and innovate and change the way our industry works with the use of these drones.”

Under the regulation, commercial drones would operate at under 400 feet above ground, and operators would need Federal Aviation Administration approval to fly them in certain airspaces. The drones can weigh up to 1,320 pounds, including what they’re carrying.

The rule would also require operators to address security risks, such as protecting drones from intentional electronic interference.

The proposed regulation was developed under an executive order that President Donald Trump signed on June 6 titled “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.”

“The United States must accelerate the safe commercialization of drone technologies and fully integrate UAS into the National Airspace System,” it stated.

“The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets.

“Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains, and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people.”