The DJI Mini 5 Pro isn’t a military drone. And the Air 3S certainly isn’t something most people would associate with the battlefield. Yet these, and several other popular DJI drone models, could potentially get caught in the Federal Communications Commission’s latest drone crackdown.
The reason? LiDAR.
The FCC is considering restrictions on previously authorized foreign-made drones with technologies including LiDAR, thermal imaging, and aerosol-dispensing capabilities. That could mean popular consumer drones such as the Mini 5 Pro and Air 3S could eventually disappear from US shelves — not because they are military aircraft, but because they contain technology the FCC has placed inside its proposed definition of “military-grade.”
This proposal is particularly significant because the FCC isn’t just talking about future drones. It is considering restrictions on foreign-made drones that were already authorized for the US market and are being sold today.
That means a drone you can legally buy right now could potentially become a drone you can no longer buy tomorrow.
