The United States’ Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop and begin implementing specific actions, including establishing clear federal and nonfederal roles and technical milestones, to ensure that drones can communicate with and detect and avoid other aircraft.
The recommendation follows a review by the government watchdog that examined technologies available for drones to detect and avoid manned aircraft, stakeholder perspectives on these technologies, and the FAA’s plans for drone operations in an “information-centric national airspace system” (NAS). The United States Congress has tasked the FAA with the responsibility to develop an information-centric NAS and develop an integrated plan for the future NAS by May 2027. In addition, a June 2025 executive order required the FAA to publish a roadmap for the integration of civilian drones into the NAS by February 2026.
“Commercial drones are flying further distances, including for package delivery and public safety operations,” GAO said on February 4. “But existing technologies don’t allow for two-way communication between drones and other aircraft, which could help avoid potential collisions. The FAA proposed rules in 2025 that would require drones to be able to detect and avoid other aircraft. However, the FAA has not identified further actions to help move toward two-way communications.”
Currently, drone operators must obtain a waiver or exemption from the FAA to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and show, among other things, how they will detect and avoid other aircraft. Existing technologies that can be used for that purpose include those that use GPS, sensors or radar. Specifically, drones can use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to detect and avoid manned aircraft that use ADS-B to broadcast their position information using GPS. Camera or acoustic sensors, or ground radar, can also be used to detect aircraft that are not broadcasting. FAA-approved waivers have mostly relied on ADS-B, which drone stakeholders told GAO is more effective than sensors or radar. Some stakeholders said that using other technologies with ADS-B could be a safer option but presents challenges such as increased weight, affecting safety.
GAO says in its report that the FAA “envisions a future NAS that is information-centric”, where all airspace users, including drones, share location information electronically. According to comments provided by the FAA, limitations with existing technologies require the development of a new technology that, unlike ADS-B, enables two-way communication between drones and other aircraft. FAA officials told GAO that the agency intends to develop performance-based standards and safety requirements for industry to use in developing that technology. In August 2025, FAA proposed new regulations that would require drones flying BVLOS to detect and avoid other aircraft. However, GAO’s review found that the FAA has not yet identified specific actions such as clear roles or technical milestones timelines, which the watchdog says could help both the agency and industry move toward two-way communication between drones and other aircraft.
It is worth noting that the FAA has recently reopened the comment period for the “Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operation” notice of proposed rulemaking.
The agency said that it received “substantial comments” on its proposals that would require that drones operating in Class B and Class C airspace or over Category 5 population areas be able to detect-and-avoid non-cooperative aircraft. Some commenters expressed concern that the proposed detect-and-avoid provisions would require prohibitively expensive technology that has not been adequately proven for safety value. Other commenters supported the broader use of ADS-B Out or alternate electronic conspicuity (EC) technologies to improve airspace safety and situational awareness and to facilitate the integration of drones into the NAS. The FAA added that some commenters identified mandatory ADS-B or alternate EC for manned operators in low-altitude airspace as the preferred, and only viable, collision risk mitigation strategy. According to the FAA: “Within these comments, there was great interest in portable, lower-cost alternate EC devices as alternatives to ADS-B Out, which commenters expressed could address practical concerns and limitations specific to ADS-B Out.”
The FAA has told GAO that “efforts are underway” to meet the watchdog’s recommendation on the safe integration of drones into the NAS, including communication and detect-and-avoid requirements.
GAO also issued its draft report to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which suggested expanding the recommendation to encourage the FAA to engage more broadly with other federal agencies on national needs for drone operations in the NAS.
For more information
GAO report on review into FAA’s drone integration activities
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