United States President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to promote and support the development, commercialisation and export of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).
Crucially, the Order directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand drone operations by enabling routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations for commercial and public safety missions, and to accelerate the development, testing, and scaling of US drone technologies, including advanced air mobility and autonomous operations.
“Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the FAA, shall issue a proposed rule enabling routine BVLOS operations for UAS for commercial and public safety purposes,” the Order states. A final rule will be published within 240 days of the date of the Order.
“Within 30 days of the date of this Order, the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the FAA, shall establish clear metrics for assessing the performance and safety of BVLOS operations, and within 180 days of the date of this order, shall identify and describe additional regulatory barriers and challenges to BVLOS implementation, with recommendations to the President through the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for addressing such issues expeditiously and informing future rulemaking or legislative actions,” the Order continues.
The Order also establishes an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVToL) integration pilot programme to accelerate the deployment of safe and lawful vertical operations in the United States, selecting at least five pilot projects to advance applications like cargo transport and medical response.
Under the terms of the Order, the FAA Administrator will publish an updated roadmap for the integration of civil UAS into the National Airspace System.
It is noted in the Order that the FAA may deploy artificial intelligence (AI) tools to streamline and expedite UAS waiver reviews. There is also a call to prioritise US-manufactured technology. “For too long, unfair foreign competition has posed a national security risk, disincentivising our drone industrial base,” a White House press statement said. “This Order is removing regulatory barriers and directing federal agencies to prioritise US-manufactured drones, secure our supply chains, and promote American leadership in production, certification and export.”
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The White House – Unleashing American Drone Dominance
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