UAV & Drones
ANSI Releases Final Report Closing Key Drone Standardization Gaps
ANSI completes five-year effort closing 20 priority drone standard gaps, advancing safe integration into US national airspace.
Five Years of Progress: ANSI Releases Final Report on Drones Standardization
On November 24, 2025, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) released the “Final Gaps Progress Report” through its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC). This publication marks the conclusion of a significant five-year cycle dedicated to integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, into the United States National Airspace System (NAS). The report serves as a capstone to the efforts initiated with the release of the Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Version 2.0 in June 2020.
The integration of drones into civil and commercial airspace has long been hindered by a lack of unified technical standards. Without agreed-upon benchmarks for safety, design, and operations, regulators like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) face difficulties in certifying new technologies for widespread use. This new report documents the industry’s response to these challenges, detailing how standards developing organizations (SDOs) have worked to close critical “gaps” identified five years ago.
We view this release not just as a procedural update, but as a critical milestone for the aviation industry. It represents the collective output of over 400 individuals from 250 distinct organizations, including government bodies like the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as industry leaders and academic institutions. The collaborative effort underscores the complexity and necessity of establishing a safety-first framework for the future of flight.
Closing the Gaps: Key Achievements
The core metric of success in this report is the resolution of “gaps,” specific areas where no standard previously existed to guide manufacturers or operators. The 2020 Roadmap originally identified 71 such gaps. According to the final report, the collaborative has successfully tracked and facilitated the closure or partial closure of 20 priority gaps. These achievements cover a wide spectrum of operations, from airworthiness and flight rules to personnel training and safety-critical systems.
Specific technical advancements highlighted in the reporting period include the development of standards for fuel cell power systems and autonomous capabilities. For instance, the publication of ASTM F3547 in early 2024 addressed the need for safe hydrogen and fuel cell power sources, a technology essential for extending the flight times of commercial drones. Similarly, SAE AS8024 was developed to provide a standardized method for unmanned systems to communicate autonomous behaviors, reducing the cognitive workload on remote pilots.
Another critical area of progress involves “Detect and Avoid” (DAA) technology. The industry has seen the update of standards such as RTCA DO-365B, which outlines the minimum operational performance standards for DAA systems. This specific technology is a prerequisite for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, which are necessary for scalable drone delivery and long-range infrastructure inspection.
“The report is the culmination of a multi-year effort documenting critical standardization advances that support the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system.”
Implications for the Future of Flight
The completion of the Version 2.0 Roadmap cycle signals a shift in the industry’s focus. By addressing these foundational gaps, the industry clears the way for more advanced regulatory frameworks. When standards for battery safety or flight operations are formalized, it becomes significantly more feasible for regulators to approve complex missions, such as urban air mobility (UAM) or heavy cargo transport.
However, the work is not entirely finished. While 20 priority gaps have been addressed, the rapid pace of technological innovation creates new challenges. The UASSC has indicated expectations to renew efforts, likely pointing toward a future Roadmap Version 3.0. We anticipate that future collaborations will need to address emerging technologies that were less mature in 2020, such as the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in flight control systems and the design of advanced vertiports for air taxis.
The collaborative model demonstrated by ANSI proves that a consensus-based approach is viable for high-stakes technology sectors. By bringing together competitors, regulators, and researchers, the UASSC has created a baseline of safety that supports commercial growth while prioritizing the public interest.
Conclusion
The release of the Final Gaps Progress Report by ANSI is a testament to the diligent, behind-the-scenes work required to modernize national infrastructure. By closing 20 priority gaps over the last five years, the UASSC has laid a firmer foundation for the commercial drone industry. These standards provide the technical assurance necessary for regulators to open the skies further to unmanned aviation.
As we look toward the next phase of development, the focus will likely shift to higher levels of autonomy and the integration of AI. The progress made between 2020 and 2025 serves as a blueprint for how the industry can tackle these future challenges, through rigorous collaboration and a commitment to safety standards.
FAQ
Question: What is the ANSI UASSC?
Answer: The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC) is a group organized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to coordinate the development of standards for the drone industry.
Question: What is a “gap” in standardization?
Answer: A “gap” refers to a specific area in technology or operations where no accepted standard exists, making it difficult to regulate or certify safety. For example, a lack of standard testing for drone batteries would be considered a gap.
Question: How many gaps were addressed in this report?
Answer: The report highlights that 20 priority gaps were successfully addressed or partially closed out of the original 71 identified in the 2020 Roadmap.
Sources
UAV & Drones
Neros Signs Up to $450M Conditional OSC Loan to Expand Drone Output
Neros signed a conditional OSC loan commitment of up to $450M and adds $165M in equity for a $615M drone and component manufacturing project.
Neros Technologies, a drone maker based in Torrance, California, has signed a conditional loan commitment of up to $450 million with the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) to expand vertically integrated production of small drones and the components inside them. Neros is adding $165 million of its own equity, which brings the total project size to $615 million, according to the company.
Neros and the Department of War both announced the commitment on November 2, 2026. The department said the financing is intended to support Neros’ domestic manufacturing expansion and reduce reliance on foreign-made components, and that it “directly advances” Executive Order 14307, Unleashing American Drone Dominance. The loan is not yet final: Neros must still satisfy financial, legal, technical, investment, due diligence and other requirements before financial close, the department said.
What the financing will pay for
According to the Department of War, OSC financing alongside additional private capital will support Neros’ planned expansion of domestic manufacturing capacity for dual-use small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), ground control systems and critical components such as motors, radios, flight electronics, sensors and batteries.
The department said Neros’ manufacturing facility in Torrance will help onshore the production of complete drone systems and of subcomponents including propulsion motors, flight stacks, radios and thermal sensors. That capacity is meant to serve Neros’ own production and to supply components compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to other U.S. and allied drone manufacturers.
Neros did not name specific drone platforms in its release. It said the commitment covers vertically integrated manufacturing of several drone platforms and the critical components they use, and that by 2028 it plans to produce one million drones per year across long-range strike, close-quarters combat and interceptor capabilities.
Soren Monroe-Anderson, chief executive and co-founder of Neros, tied the commitment to that production target in the company’s release:
“This capital puts Neros on the path to one million drones per year by 2028, and accelerates America toward drone dominance on a global scale.”
Monroe-Anderson said that since the company’s founding, Neros has believed the United States and its allies would need scaled production of military drones “for credible deterrence against adversarial powers,” and that the commitment supports onshoring the supply chains and components the company expects to rely on during extended conflicts.
What OSC and department officials said
David A. Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, said Neros “has already demonstrated an ability to design, manufacture, and deliver exceptional small unmanned aircraft systems.” He said the investment “will turbocharge Neros’ ability to manufacture drones and components critical for the production of drone systems.”
James R. Shanahan, Senior Managing Director (Investments) at OSC, said winning the drone industrial-base competition requires the United States to manufacture complete systems at scale and at competitive prices for military and non-military applications. “This starts with bolstering the domestic supply of critical components inside all drone systems,” he said. Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, said: “I applaud OSC for helping to strengthen the domestic drone supply chain.”
Neros and the OSC before this deal
A drone maker founded in 2023
Neros was founded in 2023 and describes itself as the fastest-growing American manufacturer of small unmanned aerial systems, according to a release dated December 11, 2025, in which it launched the Archer Fiber fiber-optic first-person view (FPV) drone with Kela Technologies. That release said Archer Fiber had been cleared under the BlueUAS program after a component-level audit verifying that no critical parts originate from China.
On August 11, 2026, Neros announced a $250 million Series C round at a $2.5 billion post-money valuation, co-led by Sequoia Capital and the American Strategic Technology Fund. The company said that money would support development and production ramps for two programs: Archer AI, an FPV platform with autonomy features including terminal guidance and GPS-denied position hold, and Bandit, a counter-UAS interceptor drone meant to counter Class 2 and 3 threats, including Shahed-style systems. Neros said both would be deployed in combat theaters by the end of 2026.
In the same release, Neros said it holds major contracts with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, contracts with every component of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and contracts with half a dozen allied countries, and that a UK subsidiary handles its partnerships across Europe.
The lender
The OSC’s first loan through a Department of Defense agreement was a $150 million loan to MP Materials to add heavy rare earth separation capabilities at its processing facility in Mountain Pass, California, according to an OSC release. That release said the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, provides OSC with $500 million of credit subsidy funding, creating up to $100 billion in available loan funds for critical minerals production and related industries and projects.
What comes next
The commitment turns into a loan only after Neros completes the steps the OSC has set before financial close, and neither release gave a timeline for that. In the meantime, Neros’ stated milestones are combat deployment of Archer AI and Bandit by the end of 2026 and output of one million drones per year by 2028.
UAV & Drones
French Navy Orders Airbus U010 Aliaca VTOL Drone Variant
France’s DGA converts 7 Aliaca systems to VTOL configuration, enabling French Navy ops on smaller vessels from late 2026.
The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has ordered the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) variant of the Airbus U010 Aliaca drone, converting the final seven systems of an existing 34-system contract to the new configuration.
Announced by Airbus on October 29, 2026, the shift to a VTOL platform eliminates the need for catapult launches and net recoveries. This capability allows the French Navy to deploy the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) drones on smaller secondary vessels and operate them in rougher sea conditions.
Operational expansion and technical specifications
The French Navy first operated the fixed-wing Aliaca on an offshore patrol vessel in 2019. The original system required a catapult for launch and an automated net for recovery. While effective, this infrastructure limited the types of vessels that could host the drone and restricted operations in heavy seas.
According to French Navy officials, the VTOL capability significantly expands deployment options. Pre-flight preparation takes only a few minutes, and the drone can launch in sea conditions that would have previously prevented a safe net recovery.
Maxime Caille, Director of the U010 Aliaca programme at Airbus Helicopters, noted that adding vertical lift to the existing drone required a new wing design and modified fuselage. The VTOL variant retains the same core autopilot and data link components as the fixed-wing model.
The U010 Aliaca VTOL has a maximum take-off weight of 25 kilograms, a wingspan of 3.6 meters, and a length of 2.2 meters. The 100% electric version offers up to three hours of endurance and a 50-kilometer data link range. A hybrid variant extends endurance to six hours and the operational radius to 100 kilometers. Both versions carry a gyro-stabilized electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret with a 30x optical zoom and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for tracking maritime vessels.
Deployment timeline and fleet integration
Following a trial period conducted between 2024 and 2025, the DGA requested that the final seven systems of the original 34-system order be delivered in the VTOL configuration. Airbus has already delivered 27 fixed-wing systems to the DGA.
Deployment of the VTOL variant will begin on French Navy Metropolitan Support and Assistance Vessels (BSAMs) in late 2026. In 2027, the systems will roll out to Overseas Support and Assistance Vessels (BSAOMs).
The French Navy utilizes the U010 Aliaca, designated as the SMDM in military service, for gathering real-time intelligence during maritime security missions, combating illegal fishing, and monitoring trafficking. Real-time video feeds allow operations rooms to vector interception craft and evaluate target threats.
Airbus UAS consolidation and programme background
The Aliaca drone was originally designed by Survey Copter, a French light tactical drone manufacturer that Airbus acquired in 2011. In October 2025, Airbus Helicopters formally took over the management of Survey Copter’s uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) programs, including the Aliaca and Capa-X lines, to streamline the company’s aerospace offerings.
The U010 Aliaca is a Category 2 tactical UAS certified to SAIL III standards under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology.
In early October 2026, Airbus demonstrated the platform’s interoperability during the MDays event. The company executed a collaborative crewed-uncrewed teaming scenario featuring the U010 Aliaca, the U030 Flexrotor, and an Airbus H130 helicopter operating in real-world conditions.
AirPro News analysis
The DGA’s decision to convert the remainder of its Aliaca order to the VTOL configuration highlights a broader naval shift away from catapult-and-net recovery systems. While fixed-wing drones offer superior endurance and range, the deck space and structural requirements for launch and recovery equipment restrict them to larger surface combatants. By integrating vertical lift capabilities into a fixed-wing airframe, Airbus provides the French Navy with the endurance necessary for extended maritime patrol while enabling operations from secondary support vessels. We expect this hybrid aerodynamic approach to become the baseline requirement for future shipborne tactical UAS procurements.
UAV & Drones
GA-ASI Opens MQ-9A Remote Split Operation Facility in North Dakota
GA-ASI opens a North Dakota RSO facility for AFRICOM MQ-9A missions, projecting over $10M in annual DoD savings.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has opened a new Remote Split Operation (RSO) facility near Grand Forks, North Dakota, relocating MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) flight crews from Africa to the continental United States.
The facility, officially opened during an October 30, 2026, ribbon-cutting ceremony, will support U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) missions under a Contractor-Owned, Contractor-Operated (COCO) lease. According to a company press release, the transition to stateside operations is projected to save the U.S. Department of Defense more than $10 million annually while reducing the overseas footprint of contractor personnel.
Transitioning to domestic remote operations
The RSO model allows the physical aircraft to remain deployed in foreign theaters while the flight crews operate the platforms from domestic control stations. This operational shift minimizes the risk to personnel deployed overseas and significantly lowers the logistical costs associated with maintaining forward-deployed crews.
GA-ASI Chief Executive Officer Linden Blue highlighted the dual benefits of the new North Dakota facility during the opening event.
“We’re excited to establish this new facility in North Dakota. Setting up our remote flight operations here in North Dakota will allow us to decrease the number of personnel required overseas, significantly reducing the cost of the COCO to the U.S. government and, more importantly, significantly increase the safety for our personnel. It will also bring approximately 50 well-paying jobs to the Grand Forks community.”
The U.S. military utilizes COCO leases to augment its organic fleet capabilities. Under this arrangement, contractor pilots operate the aircraft on behalf of combatant commands, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data directly to military end-users.
U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), who worked through the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee to facilitate the project, emphasized the financial and strategic advantages of the relocation.
“General Atomics is moving pilots from Africa to Grand Forks to remotely fly their missions for AFRICOM. Doing so makes perfect sense, and that’s why we worked through the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee to make it happen. This new facility is not only a real cost savings for AFRICOM, which will save more than $10 million per year as pilots operate from Grand Forks rather than overseas, but it also brings a broader intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance portfolio to our state.”
A decade of expansion at the Grand Forks flight center
The new RSO facility is located at GA-ASI’s Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC), situated within the GrandSky UAS Business Park adjacent to Grand Forks Air Force Base. The FTTC began operations on July 18, 2016, established to provide the manufacturer with dedicated airspace and facilities for flight testing, aircraft maintenance, and aircrew training.
The addition of active AFRICOM mission support builds on the company’s extensive history with uncrewed platforms. GA-ASI’s Predator line of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) has been in operation for 30 years, accumulating more than 9 million total flight hours across various military and government operators.
The MQ-9A Reaper, the primary aircraft supported by the new RSO facility, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft designed for persistent surveillance and strike capabilities. By operating the MQ-9A from the North Dakota facility, GA-ASI integrates active combatant command support into a site previously focused primarily on testing and training.
AirPro News analysis
The expansion of Remote Split Operations for COCO leases represents a maturation of how the U.S. Department of Defense procures and manages uncrewed intelligence gathering. By decoupling the aircrew from the physical aircraft deployment, combatant commands like AFRICOM can maintain persistent surveillance coverage over vast geographic areas without the political and logistical friction of expanding overseas troop or contractor footprints. This model effectively treats uncrewed aerial surveillance as a managed service, shifting the burden of personnel security and basing infrastructure back to the manufacturer’s domestic facilities.
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