Blue UAS Cleared List 2026: Every Approved Drone Platform

The Blue UAS Cleared List is the Department of Defense’s official catalog of unmanned aircraft systems and critical components approved for federal procurement. Platforms on it are NDAA compliant, cybersecurity-vetted, and exempt from FCC Covered List restrictions until January 1, 2027.

How many platforms are on it right now is a harder question than it should be. The last figure the Defense Innovation Unit published was 39 certified systems and 165 components, in November 2025, shortly before it handed the list to the Defense Contract Management Agency. Since that transfer, DIU’s own page has done nothing but point at a DCMA address.

Finding the list from that pointer is not straightforward. The address DIU links, bluelist.dcma.mil, refused every connection FlightBrief attempted, from a browser and directly, on repeated tries. The address that does respond is a different one, bluelist.appsplatformportals.us — the address the Justice Department cites in its own Byrne JAG grant guidance — and it serves a Microsoft Power Apps portal that assembles the list in the browser rather than publishing it as a page.

None of that is a conspiracy; it is an ordinary government platform migration. But the practical effect for a buyer is real. The definitive record of which aircraft US agencies may lawfully purchase is served from a host DIU does not link, in a form that is awkward to read, cite or archive. Counts circulating elsewhere on the web, including the figure this guide previously carried, do not trace back to a published DoD source, and are not repeated here.

What Is the Blue UAS Approved Drones List?

The Blue UAS program launched in 2020 under the Defense Innovation Unit as a trusted source list for small UAS procurement. It solved a specific problem: after NDAA Section 848 banned DoD from buying Chinese-made drones and components, there was no authoritative list of what was actually approved. Blue UAS filled that gap.

The move to the Defense Contract Management Agency was set in motion by a Secretary of War memo of July 10, 2025, “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance”, and announced on December 3, 2025, ahead of the ASDA full enforcement deadline. DCMA’s Unmanned Systems-Experimental command, based in Palmdale, California, now maintains the list; DIU remains involved as a partner shaping standards and checklists. The transfer marks the program’s shift from innovation vetting to operational procurement baseline.

The list covers two categories: Blue UAS Cleared, for platforms that have passed full vetting, and Blue UAS Select, for platforms competitively selected or sponsored by a military service or combatant command with an Authority to Operate. A separate Framework section covers cleared components, sensors, and software rather than complete aircraft.

How Does a Drone Get on the Blue UAS List?

Manufacturers submit platforms through DCMA or a recognized assessor. As of July 2025, three organizations hold recognized assessor status: MTSI, Dark Wolf Solutions, and AUVSI. AUVSI’s Green UAS certification program functions as a direct fast-track pathway — platforms that complete Green UAS certification can move into Blue UAS Cleared without a separate full assessment.

Vetting covers five areas: cybersecurity controls, supply chain provenance (no covered foreign components), hardware integrity, software security, and operational capability. The process is continuous rather than batched — manufacturers can submit at any time, and the list updates on a rolling basis. No official average timeline has been published, but industry consensus places the process at roughly six to eighteen months depending on platform complexity and how clean the supply chain documentation is.

Listing is not permanent, and the removals that have happened are more revealing than the criteria. Platforms can be dropped for unresolved cybersecurity vulnerabilities, unapproved changes to design or manufacturing, end-of-life status, or failure to maintain ongoing compliance.

In practice, none of those is what has taken platforms off the list. Between late February and early March 2025 the roster contracted sharply, and the platforms that came off — including the senseFly eBee TAC, the Ascent AeroSystems Spirit and the Inspired Flight IF1200A — were not removed for failing anything. The refresh cycle simply turned over. Ascent’s Spirit was back by September 2025.

Wingtra, delisted in the same window, told its customers directly that the cause was “recent strategic shifts by the Defense Innovation Unit towards warfighter platforms”, and that the NDAA compliance status of its aircraft was unchanged. The notice has since been removed from Wingtra’s website.

That distinction is the one buyers most often get wrong. NDAA compliance is a property of the hardware. Blue UAS listing is an administrative status, granted for a specific configuration at a specific moment, and a platform can lose it without a single component changing. An agency that standardises on a listed platform is exposed to a refresh cycle it does not control.

Green UAS certification from AUVSI now grants automatic eligibility for the Blue UAS Cleared List under the current framework, removing what was previously a separate DCMA review stage. Platforms that earn Green UAS certification move directly to Cleared List eligibility without additional evaluation.

The current FCC Covered List exemption — which shields Blue UAS-cleared platforms from restrictions on foreign-produced UAS components — runs through January 2027.

DCMA evaluates platforms across four criteria: cybersecurity safeguards, supply chain integrity, system architecture, and operational reliability. All four must pass before a platform earns Cleared List designation.

Blue UAS Cleared List Companies 2026

The manufacturers currently represented on the Blue UAS Cleared List span small US startups to established defense contractors. The most notable include Skydio (the X10, X10D, R10 and Dock for X10), Parrot (the ANAFI USA and ANAFI USA Gov), Auterion (the Auterion Mission Control-compatible fleet), Inspired Flight (the IF800), Freefly Systems (the Alta X), and Teal Drones (the Golden Eagle). Shield AI’s Hivemind-powered platforms are separately cleared. AgEagle’s eBee TAC, which earlier versions of this guide listed here, came off in the 2025 refresh described above. The full list, including cleared components and Framework entries, is maintained at the DCMA US-X portal and updated as platforms complete vetting. The platform detail below reflects the position as of April 2026, updated where later changes are documented. Treat it as a guide to what is on the list rather than a substitute for it, and check the DCMA portal before committing to a purchase.

Who Can Buy Blue UAS Platforms?

Federal agencies — DoD, civilian agencies, and any entity using federal funds — are the primary market. Under the American Security Drone Act, full enforcement began December 22, 2025. Federal agencies and contractors cannot procure or operate covered foreign UAS. Blue UAS listing is the standard these buyers rely on to confirm compliance.

State and local governments can access Blue UAS platforms through cooperative purchasing programs, GSA schedules, or directly if their procurement regulations permit. DHS has explicitly flagged Blue UAS as relevant for first responder and public safety procurement. The federal mandate attaches to federal dollars rather than to the department spending them: the American Security Drone Act contains an explicit rule of construction preserving the right of state, local and territorial law enforcement and emergency service agencies to buy and fly a covered aircraft purchased with non-federal money.

Two details in that arrangement catch departments out.

The first is that the restriction covers operation, not just purchase. Federal award funds may not be used to procure a covered aircraft or in connection with operating one. A department that bought a DJI airframe with city money can still breach the condition by paying for its batteries, software subscriptions, pilot training or maintenance out of a federal grant. The FY2026 Homeland Security Grant Program notice flags this specifically.

The second is that the grant programs are stricter than the statute. The Act prohibits aircraft from a covered foreign entity. The Justice Department’s Byrne JAG guidance goes further and requires affirmative certification that only aircraft verified on the Blue UAS Cleared List will be purchased or operated under the award, that no modifications or additional accessories will be introduced, and that the aircraft will not be used to process, store or transmit federal information. Those are not the same test. A US-made drone that has never been near a covered foreign entity still fails the JAG certification if it is not on the list — and an agency that adds an unapproved payload to a listed airframe can fail it too.

Commercial buyers face no legal mandate. Any private company can buy a Blue UAS platform for private use. The premium is real and significant, but in regulated industries — utilities, critical infrastructure, energy, insurance — enterprise procurement teams increasingly treat Blue UAS or Green UAS listing as a baseline filter regardless of law.

Every Platform on the Blue UAS Cleared List

Skydio — X10D, X2D variants

Skydio is the anchor US NDAA-compliant manufacturer. The X10D is the defense flagship: 2.11 kg, 40 minutes flight time, 12 km range with Connect SL, IP55, 360-degree obstacle avoidance, operating range from -20°C to 45°C, with a 1-inch 50MP wide camera, telephoto, and Boson+ thermal. Multiple frequency variants (1.8 and 5 GHz) are separately listed. In March 2026, the US Army ordered more than 2,500 X10D units for over $52 million — the largest single-vendor tactical small UAS order in Army history. Available via GSA and DoD contract vehicles.

On July 23, 2026, Skydio announced that the rest of its line had joined the X10D on the Cleared List: the enterprise X10, the Dock for X10, and the R10 indoor platform. The company says it is the first manufacturer to move its entire active lineup onto the list at once, and claims the only Blue UAS-cleared drone-as-first-responder system on the market. For agencies running docked, remotely deployed aircraft, that closes a gap that previously forced a choice between an autonomous deployment system and a cleared one.

Red Cat / Teal Drones — Teal 2, Golden Eagle, Fang F7

Teal Drones, a Red Cat Holdings subsidiary, has multiple variants on the list. The Teal 2 and Golden Eagle are compact, rucksack-portable quadcopters weighing approximately 1 kg, with 20 to 30 minutes flight time, 50 mph top speed, 3 km range, and a FLIR Hadron EO/IR sensor with 4K60 video. Operating range spans -32°F to 110°F. The Red Cat Fang F7 is separately cleared. All variants target short-range soldier-level and law enforcement reconnaissance. Government pricing typically runs $15,000 to $20,000 depending on configuration.

Parrot — ANAFI USA GOV/MIL, ANAFI UKR

Parrot is a French manufacturer, but its NDAA-compliant versions are built to US supply chain standards and have been on the Blue UAS list since the early program. The ANAFI USA weighs 485 grams, flies for 32 minutes, has a 4 km range, IP53 weather resistance, and carries three cameras: wide-angle, 32x zoom, and 320 thermal. It is one of the most affordable cleared platforms, typically priced between $7,000 and $10,000. Parrot’s compact form factor and accessible price point have made it the dominant Blue UAS platform in public safety and first responder deployment.

AeroVironment — Red Dragon

AeroVironment’s Red Dragon is on the Cleared List primarily for military ISR roles. AeroVironment is better known for its Switchblade loitering munitions, but the Red Dragon fills the tactical reconnaissance category. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Available through DoD procurement channels.

Anduril Industries — Ghost, Ghost-X

Both variants of the Ghost autonomous ISR platform are cleared. The Ghost runs on Anduril’s Lattice AI software, supports modular payloads, and is designed for Group 1 and 2 tactical missions. Anduril does not publish pricing — these are acquired through DoD contracts and OTA agreements. Primarily a DoD buyer platform.

Ascent AeroSystems — Spirit

The Spirit is a rugged, modular coaxial sUAS designed for operation in constrained environments where conventional multirotor form factors don’t fit. Cleared for broad government procurement.

Easy Aerial — Osprey

The Osprey Free Flight Version is a heavy-lift hexacopter with 55 minutes flight time, 20 km range, 3 kg payload capacity, and 100 km/h top speed. All-weather capable. Targets persistent surveillance and public safety operations in adverse conditions. Available via GSA.

Edge Autonomy — VXE30 Stalker

The Stalker VXE30 is a fixed-wing VTOL designed for tactical ISR. Long-endurance platform optimized for persistent area surveillance. Primarily DoD market.

FlightWave Aerospace Systems — Edge 130

VTOL fixed-wing with 125 minutes flight time, 100 km/h cruise speed, resistance to 40 mph winds, approximately 1.2 kg weight, and tool-free payload swapping. Targets long-range mapping and surveillance. Available through government and commercial channels.

Freefly Systems — Astro/Max Blue Package, Alta X Blue Package

Freefly builds the leading heavy-lift platforms on the list. The Astro carries 1.5 to 3 kg payloads with 28 to 39 minutes flight time depending on payload, with an MTOW of approximately 7 kg. Starting price runs approximately $26,000 for the Astro Max configuration. The Alta X scales up significantly: 15 kg payload capacity, 34.9 kg MTOW, 2.27 meter diameter. Both are widely used for LiDAR, RGB, and thermal payloads in inspection and mapping. Available via GSA.

The “Blue Package” designation is worth reading carefully, because it is where buyers most often go wrong. It denotes a distinct NDAA-compliant configuration, not a badge on the standard aircraft. Freefly’s own store lists the base Astro Max at $22,995 and marks it as not compliant — the Herelink radio link is the reason — while the NDAA and Blue configuration, with compliant radios, the Pilot Pro controller and DIU firmware, is a separate item at $28,995. Freefly’s marketing pages carry Blue and NDAA badges across the Astro line without that distinction on the page. An agency ordering from the marketing page rather than the store can receive an aircraft it is not permitted to fly on federal funds.

Hoverfly Technologies — Spectre

Tethered platform with unlimited flight time via ground power and up to 3.6 kg payload. Used for persistent ISR and communications relay where extended loiter time matters more than mobility. DoD and first responder market.

Inspired Flight Technologies — IF800 Tomcat, IF1200A

Designed explicitly as a DJI Matrice replacement for government buyers transitioning away from Chinese platforms. The IF800 starts at approximately $23,000. Heavy-lift configuration with industrial inspection and government mapping as primary use cases. Available via GSA.

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace — K1000ULE

Long-endurance tactical platform. Specific specs are not publicly disclosed. DoD-focused.

ModalAI — Seeker Vision FPV, Stinger Vision FPV

Both 5-inch and 7-inch FPV variants were added to the list in August 2025. These are fast, close-quarters platforms designed for contested and confined-space tactical operations. ModalAI builds on its VOXL autonomy stack. Primarily DoD.

Mountain Horse Solutions — Talon DT-300

Added as part of the 2025 to 2026 expansion. Tactical platform. Primarily DoD.

Neros Technologies — Archer, Archer Fiber

Los Angeles-based manufacturer. The Archer reaches up to 160 km/h and is described as battlefield-proven and electronic warfare resistant. The Archer Fiber variant uses fiber-optic tethering for EW-hardened data links. DoD-focused attritable and tactical category.

PDW — C100

Portable long-endurance quadcopter with 74 minutes flight time on ISR payload, 6.8 kg payload capacity, 9.6 kg weight, 10 km range, 64 km/h top speed, operating range from -4°C to 57°C. Government procurement primary market.

Quantum Systems — Vector

German manufacturer with NDAA-compliant supply chain. VTOL tactical platform. Allied-nation manufacturer — satisfies covered foreign country exclusion.

Renegade UxS — Nightmare, Nightmare Digital

Added in the 2025 to 2026 expansion. Tactical FPV and attritable category. DoD-focused.

Shield AI — V-BAT

VTOL fixed-wing with over 10 hours endurance. Designed for persistent ISR and maritime surveillance where long loiter time is the primary requirement. Pricing is in the $1 million-plus class per system. DoD procurement only.

Skyfront — Perimeter 8

Tethered multi-rotor for persistent surveillance operations. Extended endurance via ground power tether.

Teledyne FLIR — Black Hornet 4

Nano sUAS in the personal reconnaissance category — small enough to be carried and launched by an individual soldier. Military-grade, DoD primary market. Pricing varies by configuration and contract.

Thunder Tiger Corporation — Overkill FPV

Tactical FPV platform. DoD-focused.

Titan Dynamics — Raptor

Tactical platform added in the 2025 to 2026 expansion period.

Vantage Robotics — Trace, Vesper

Small sUAS platforms. Government and public safety market.

Wingtra — WingtraOne Gen II, WingtraRAY

Swiss manufacturer with NDAA-compliant manufacturing. Fixed-wing VTOL mapping platforms. The WingtraOne Gen II is widely used for precision surveying and geospatial data collection. Allied-nation manufacturer — satisfies the covered foreign country exclusion.

WISPR Systems — SkyScout 2+

Added to the Blue UAS Cleared List in April 2026 after earning AUVSI Green UAS certification in February 2026. The SkyScout 2+ emphasizes secure domestic sourcing and survivability features, including AES-256 encrypted communications, US-based design and assembly, domestically sourced components, long-range obstacle detection, terrain following, EMI protection, and extreme-condition thermal management. It ships with the WISPR SkyBoss controller, which adds AES-256 encrypted transmission and IP55 protection. Government and public safety buyers are the primary market.

Zepher Flight Labs — Z1

Cleared in the 2025 to 2026 expansion. Tactical category.

Zone 5 Technologies — Paladin

Tactical platform. DoD-focused.

Ondas / American Robotics — Optimus

Added February 2026. Autonomous drone-in-a-box system targeting national security and critical infrastructure inspection. One of the more recent additions reflecting the program’s expansion beyond purely military platforms.

Where the Compliance Boundary Actually Falls

Section 848 does not police every part of an aircraft. It reaches the components Congress enumerated, and Congress enumerated the ones that store or move data: the airframe, the flight controller, the radio and data transmission devices, the camera and gimbal, the ground control system, network connectivity and data storage, and the operating software.

Motors sit outside that list. So do speed controllers, battery cells, magnets and passive electronics — the parts that make an aircraft fly rather than think. DefenseScoop reported in November 2025 that the majority of systems cleared through the program have motors sourced in China, and the economics explain why: a former senior defense official put Chinese motors at $12 to $25 each against $100 to $225 for US alternatives. AUVSI’s chief executive, Michael Robbins, framed the consequence plainly — because motors were never treated as critical components, the drone motor market outside China stayed immature. AUVSI is worth noting twice over here: it is the sector’s trade association, it runs the Green UAS certification that feeds this list, and it is a DoD-recognized assessor.

Then in December 2025 the FCC drew the line somewhere else. Its Covered List notice defines UAS critical components to include batteries, battery management systems and motors, alongside the data-handling parts Section 848 covers.

The result is that a motor can be lawful inside a Blue UAS aircraft and a critical component under FCC rules at the same time. The exemption that resolves the tension does not close it: the January 2026 carve-out covers platforms on the Cleared List and products meeting the Buy American “domestic end product” test, which is satisfied at 65 percent domestic content by cost. That leaves room for up to 35 percent foreign content — roughly the share occupied by motors, cells and magnets.

For a buyer, the practical reading is that Blue UAS listing certifies a supply chain audit against a data-security standard, not a guarantee of end-to-end domestic manufacture. Anyone procuring on the assumption that a cleared aircraft contains no Chinese content is procuring on a misunderstanding.

What Does Blue UAS Compliance Actually Cost?

The price premium over pre-restriction DJI equivalents runs 50 to 100 percent or more depending on platform category. Parrot’s ANAFI USA at roughly $7,000 to $10,000 is the most accessible entry point. Mid-range platforms like the Inspired Flight IF800 start at $23,000 and the Freefly Astro Max at $26,000. Tactical systems like the Skydio X10D are priced via government contract rather than public list. Shield AI’s V-BAT operates in a different bracket entirely at over $1 million per system.

The premium exists for three reasons: US or allied-nation manufacturing carries higher labor and component costs than Chinese production, compliance and certification overhead adds to program costs, and production volumes are a fraction of what DJI achieves at scale. As the market grows — driven by the $150 million initial Drone Dominance procurement and the target of 340,000 attritable units by 2027 — volume pricing should compress the gap. Unusual Machines has explicitly stated it is targeting cost parity with Chinese-made components for motors and related hardware. That matters because the component stack is a significant driver of total system cost.

Green UAS: The Commercial Pathway

Green UAS, managed by AUVSI, mirrors Blue UAS cybersecurity and supply chain standards but targets commercial, public safety, and non-DoD government buyers. It adds corporate cyber hygiene requirements, product and device security standards, and remote operations connectivity requirements that Blue UAS does not require.

Green UAS is not a DoD procurement designation on its own, but since July 2025 it functions as a recognized pathway into Blue UAS Cleared. Platforms completing Green certification can move into Blue without a separate full DoD assessment. For enterprise buyers without a direct DoD relationship, Green UAS provides a recognized compliance signal for procurement purposes.

What Happens to Agencies Still Operating Non-Compliant Drones?

Full ASDA enforcement began December 22, 2025. Federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients cannot procure or operate covered foreign UAS. Agencies still running DJI or Autel fleets face funding risk, contract issues, and potential national security flags. There is limited grandfathering for pre-existing non-federal use, but for any federally funded operation the transition requirement is unambiguous.

The practical transition burden is real. Many agencies built operations around DJI Matrice platforms that have no direct equivalent on the Blue UAS list at the same price point. The Inspired Flight IF800 and Freefly Astro are the closest functional replacements at two to three times the cost.

What to Watch Through 2027

The January 1, 2027 expiration of FCC exemptions for Blue UAS platforms and Buy American domestic end products is the defining near-term date. If those exemptions expire without extension, the regulatory pressure on non-exempt foreign UAS in the US market intensifies further, and the Blue UAS list becomes even more central to any federal or federally funded drone procurement.

The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance program will drive the next significant wave of Blue UAS additions. With 25 vendors competing for an initial $150 million contract and a 340,000-unit attritable target by 2027, manufacturers not yet on the list have clear financial incentive to pursue listing. DCMA’s goal of transforming the Blue List into a true acquisition marketplace — with direct procurement capability rather than just a reference list — is set for completion by the end of 2027. When that infrastructure is in place, the gap between being on the list and being accessible to a procurement officer closes entirely.