The terms a drone buyer meets, defined plainly.

Published 2026-09-06

NDAA-compliant

A drone that contains no critical components from the foreign entities and countries restricted by the National Defense Authorization Act, principally Section 848 of the FY2020 act for Department of Defense purchases and Section 889 of the FY2019 act for covered telecommunications and video equipment. A manufacturer states compliance; there is no certifying body.

Section 889

The provision of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act that bars federal agencies and their contractors from buying or using covered telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from named foreign companies. "No Section 889 covered components" is the precise form of the compliance statement.

Blue UAS

The Defense Innovation Unit's cleared list of specific drones and components that passed Department of Defense review for cybersecurity and supply chain. Every Blue UAS aircraft is NDAA-compliant; most NDAA-compliant aircraft are not on the list.

Green UAS

An industry program run by AUVSI that assesses commercial drones against similar supply-chain and cybersecurity criteria for non-defense buyers. Separate from Blue UAS.

FCC Covered List

The Federal Communications Commission's list of communications equipment it will not authorize for sale in the United States. On December 22, 2025 it gained all foreign-produced drones and their critical components, so no new foreign model can be marketed here; aircraft already authorized stay legal to fly.

Part 107

The FAA rule for commercial small drone operations. Its remote pilot certificate, earned by a knowledge test at an FAA testing center, is the fastest legal path for a small agency or a business to fly, within visual line of sight and below 400 feet unless otherwise authorized.

Part 108

The FAA rule for routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, proposed and not final. No vendor should promise operations under it until it is.

COA

Certificate of Authorization: the FAA authorization under which a public agency can fly as a public aircraft operator instead of under Part 107. Also used for waivers of specific rules.

BVLOS

Beyond visual line of sight: flying where the pilot cannot see the aircraft. Requires FAA authorization case by case today.

Remote PIC

Remote pilot in command: the certificated person responsible for a flight. Multi-aircraft approvals typically allow one remote PIC to operate up to four aircraft in flight at once.

DFR

Drone as first responder: a program that launches an aircraft to a call for service, often from a dock, so a dispatcher or pilot sees the scene before officers arrive. Published program budgets run about $100,000 to $200,000 a year.

Concurrent-flight governor

Software that counts aircraft aloft per remote pilot in command and enforces the ratio a multi-aircraft approval allows, recording the count in every flight log. In EnCor Command it is one pilot to four aircraft.

Counter-UAS (C-UAS)

Detecting, tracking, and responding to unauthorized drones. Ranges that test counter-UAS systems fly target drones and consume them; FEMA's Counter-UAS grant funds detection and response for state and local governments.

Micro-purchase threshold

The dollar limit, $10,000 for most federal purchases under FAR 2.101, below which a buyer can purchase without competitive quotes, usually on a government purchase card. Requirements may not be split to stay under it.

Group 1 UAS

The Department of Defense category for the smallest drones: under 20 pounds, normally flown below 1,200 feet and under 100 knots. The Corvin is a Group 1 aircraft.

Section 232 drone tariff

Duties on imported drones and components under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, effective September 3, 2026: 25 percent on drones at or under 25 kilograms, 100 percent on heavier drones, any drone with thermal imaging, docking stations, and listed components.