WASHINGTON—Following a visit to a test site in Texas to review cutting edge demos of drone and counter-drone technologies, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan is highlighting the agency's efforts to implement President Trump’s proposals to achieve “American drone dominance” and has announced that the FCC is working closely with U.S. drone and UAV companies to carry out the administration’s policies.
As the next major step in the Commission’s work, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) issued a public notice, seeking input on an array of reforms the Commission might take to achieve U.S. supremacy in drone technology, manufacturing, and operations.
“President Trump has been clear that the Administration will act to secure our airspace and unleash American drone dominance,” Carr said. “As the President’s national strategy outlines, the production, deployment, and export of American drones are core elements of U.S. national security, technological sovereignty, and global competitiveness.”
“At the FCC, we are doing our part to promote U.S. drone leadership by cutting red tape, modernizing obsolete regulations, and securing a domestic drone supply chain,” he added. “Today’s public notice is the next major step in that effort. We are seeking comment on a range of important actions, including modernizing experimental licensing, creating new drone innovation zones, and ensuring more spectrum for drone operators. I look forward to continue working alongside the all the relevant federal departments and agencies, in implementing President Trump’s strategy to secure American drone dominance.”
The Public Notice called “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” seeks input on “an array of reforms the Commission might take to unleash American drone dominance,” the agency reported.
As previously reported, it comes at a time when the U.S. has banned the sale new models of many popular drones made in China and other countries outside the U.S.
Late last year, following an Executive Branch national security determination, the FCC added foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components to its Covered List of items that can’t be sold in America.
Subsequently, following another national security determination the FCC removed some of these devices from the Covered List. Even so, most foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components are still prohibited from receiving authorization for the U.S. market and the FCC is expanding its efforts to support the deployment of drone technology in the U.S.
The FCC said it has been working to speed up the application process for UAS and Counter-UAS experimental licenses. Since January 2025, the Commission has granted 227 UAS experimental approvals, and, for the first time ever, 8 Counter-UAS experimental approvals.
These include experimental licenses for use by the Department of War as part of the implementation of President Trump’s Unleashing American Drone Dominance executive order. Compared to the previous four years, from 2021-2024, approvals granted by the FCC for UAS conventional experimental licenses have increased by 68%.
In the new public notice issued April 1, the FCC’s WTB and OET is seeking input on a variety of issues. The agency described those issues as follows:
- Alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens that frustrate drone deployment, including Commission rules or policies—such as siting or device certification—that may create friction for the growth of a competitive, secure, and innovative domestic drone ecosystem.
- Ensuring that American drone manufacturers and users have access to sufficient spectrum for drone testing and operations, including services to the public.
- Facilitating and encouraging American firms’ investment in drone capabilities, developing infrastructure, and offering innovative and advanced capabilities.
- Ensuring that U.S.-based manufacturers and trusted suppliers have the regulatory clarity and technical access needed to scale production and secure investment.
- Coordinating more effectively with other federal agencies to align spectrum policies with national security imperatives and reduce the risk posed by untrusted foreign-origin UAS operating in U.S. airspace.
- Streamlining the FCC’s experimental licensing rules to facilitate more agile testing of UAS communications systems—including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) links, command and control (C2) systems, detect-and-avoid (DAA) technologies, and secure navigation tools—across a broader range of spectrum bands.
- Establishing additional dedicated drone innovation zones or testbeds, in partnership with federal, state, academic, or private entities, and whether streamlining authorizations to help spur early-stage experimentation and commercialization.
The Public Notice and other information on the topic can be found here.
