American drone pilots are already feeling the impact of Washington’s crackdown on Chinese drones. Thanks to existing restrictions, DJI’s latest Lito series still isn’t officially available in the US. Now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering rules that could affect future imports and sales of a much broader range of DJI aircraft, including the very popular Mini 5 Pro and Air 3S camera drones.
The FCC’s public comment period for this proposal is now closed after attracting nearly 4,000 submissions from drone pilots, public safety agencies, businesses, and manufacturers. And in a 26-page filing, DJI has laid out exactly why it believes the proposed restrictions should never become final.
The filing responds to the FCC’s proposal to prohibit the continued importation and marketing of previously authorized foreign-made drones that regulators classify as “military-grade.” Unlike previous actions that targeted specific companies, this proposal focuses on drone capabilities — including thermal cameras, LiDAR sensors, autonomous docking stations, swarming software, agricultural spraying systems, defense integration, and aircraft weighing more than 55 pounds.
That definition immediately raised eyebrows because many of those technologies are no longer confined to military hardware. They’re increasingly found on commercial inspection drones, search-and-rescue aircraft, mapping platforms, agricultural drones, and even some advanced consumer models.
