Drone News: Foreign Drone Ban Updates, DHS Creates Counter Drone Office, Super Bowl LX No-Fly Zone
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, Updates to the Foreign Drone Ban, the Department of Homeland Security is creating a new permanent counter-drone office, and the Super Bowl LX no-fly zone. Let's get to it.
First up, according to a report from Reuters, the U.S. Commerce Department has withdrawn its plan to impose sweeping restrictions on Chinese-made drones. This was the result of the ANPRM we discussed last year, and it was targeting the entire supply chain. Including things like flight controllers, operating software, and data storage. Reports say it’s a diplomatic move, as the White House is reportedly freezing some actions against China ahead of a planned meeting between the President and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April. It’s also possible the rule is no longer necessary, as the goal has been achieved through the FCC’s actions. Speaking of, the FCC has clarified its own rule. The agency partially reversed its sweeping ban on ALL foreign drones, but with some major catches. The new rule exempts drones on the Pentagon's "Blue List"—so aircraft from companies like Parrot, Skydio, and Wingtra are now fine. It also exempts U.S.-manufactured drones, as long as domestic parts account for 65 percent of the cost—but that exemption only lasts until 2027. The most important part for our community is that the ban STILL covers DJI and others. And again, this does NOT ground your existing drone, it means no new DJI models can get the required FCC authorization to be sold in the U.S.Next up, the Department of Homeland Security is getting very serious about counter-drone operations. The DHS announced it's creating a new permanent office called the "Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-UAS." This is being launched with an initial $115 million investment to beef up security for the America250 celebrations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But that's just a small piece of the puzzle. This funding is on top of a $500 million counter-drone program announced last October and a potential $1.5 billion contract for Customs and Border Protection to acquire new counter-drone tech.DHS revealed it has already conducted over 1,500 missions to protect the U.S. from "illicit drone activities" since 2018. That works out to more than four counter-drone operations every single week, happening mostly under the radar. This new office will formalize and expand that capability. It will also serve as the coordination hub for local police departments, which were recently given authority to disable drones under the SAFER SKIES Act. So, what does this mean for you? The World Cup is basically the justification for building a permanent, nationwide counter-drone infrastructure. The equipment and training your local police get for the World Cup won't just disappear after the games. And finally this week, a very important public service announcement if you're going to be anywhere near Northern California for the Super Bowl. The FAA has released its advisory for Super Bowl LX, which is happening on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, and they are not messing around. In the days leading up to the game, from February 3rd through the 7th, there will be a TFR within a one-nautical-mile radius of downtown San Francisco, up to 1,000 feet AGL. On Game day, Feb. 8th, the TFR expands to 2 miles at 11:00 AM, and then to 30 miles at 2:30 PM. If you haven’t seen it already, the results of our survey on how the industry will be affected by the FCC ruling is out. So go check out that video and we’ll see you on Post flight, the show where we share our opinions that aren’t suitable for YouTube. Have a good weekend. https://dronexl.co/2026/01/13/dhs-permanent-counter-drone-office/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/10/commerce-department-drops-drone-restrictions/https://dronexl.co/2026/01/08/super-bowl-faa-drones/https://www.flyingmag.com/fcc-eases-foreign-drone-ban-dji/
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