sUAS Certification
sUAS Certification
Section titled “sUAS Certification”Certification Pathway for sUAS
Section titled “Certification Pathway for sUAS”To operate small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) commercially in the United States, you need FAA Part 107 certification.
FAA Part 107 Certification
Section titled “FAA Part 107 Certification”Federal & Military UAS Compliance
Section titled “Federal & Military UAS Compliance”Beyond FAA certification, federal/DoD drone operators must comply with NDAA restrictions on foreign-manufactured systems.
NDAA & ASDA Requirements
Section titled “NDAA & ASDA Requirements”| Statute | Effect |
|---|---|
| NDAA §848 (FY2020) | Prohibits DoD procurement of PRC-manufactured UAS or critical components |
| NDAA §889 (FY2019) | Bans Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, Dahua telecom/surveillance components |
| ASDA §1825 (FY2024) | Government-wide ban — all federal agencies prohibited from procuring (Dec 2023) and operating (Dec 2025) covered foreign UAS |
| NDAA §1709 (FY2025) | DJI added to FCC Covered List (Dec 2025), blocking new equipment authorizations |
Blue UAS Cleared List
Section titled “Blue UAS Cleared List”For federal/DoD use, only systems on the Blue UAS Cleared List are authorized. Managed by DCMA (transitioned from DIU in Dec 2025). Authoritative source: bluelist.dcma.mil
Army UAS Marketplace
Section titled “Army UAS Marketplace”The UAS Marketplace (launched March 2026) is the Army’s digital storefront for procuring NDAA-compliant Group 1-3 drone systems. CAC required. Related: JIATF 401 C-UAS Marketplace for counter-drone equipment.
Related Resources
Section titled “Related Resources”- sUAS Breakdown - Technical overview of sUAS components
- FPV sUAS - First-person view drone operations
- Guide to Unmanned Systems - Comprehensive unmanned systems guide
- UAS Marketplace - Army digital storefront for trusted, NDAA-compliant UAS procurement