With solely weeks remaining, DJI asks nationwide safety businesses to start Part 1709 audit to keep away from computerized FCC “Lined Listing” designation
With lower than a month earlier than the deadline established by Part 1709 of the Fiscal Yr 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA), drone producer DJI has issued a brand new spherical of formal letters to 5 U.S. nationwide safety businesses, urging them to start the Congressionally mandated safety evaluate of DJI merchandise.
Letters dated December 1, 2025, from Adam Welsh, DJI’s Head of World Coverage, had been despatched to senior management on the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), Division of Struggle/DoD, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nationwide Safety Company (NSA), and the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (ODNI). Within the correspondence, DJI asks the businesses to “take up this audit instantly” to make sure the evaluate is accomplished earlier than the December 23 statutory deadline.
Background: Part 1709 and What It Requires
Part 1709 of the FY25 NDAA requires {that a} designated nationwide safety company conduct a proper analysis to find out whether or not sure foreign-manufactured drones or associated communications and imaging gear pose an “unacceptable danger” to U.S. nationwide safety or the protection of Americans. If the mandated evaluate shouldn’t be accomplished inside one yr of enactment, the gear have to be routinely positioned on the FCC’s “Lined Listing.”
The wording has led to vital uncertainty surrounding this provision and its potential to reshape the industrial drone panorama. Associated legislative proposals, together with earlier variations of the Countering CCP Drones Act, raised business issues about broad restrictions on Chinese language-made methods.
What It Means to Be Added to the FCC “Lined Listing”
Being positioned on the FCC Lined Listing has vital operational penalties. The designation identifies communications and digicam gear deemed to pose nationwide safety dangers. Importantly for drone methods, Lined Listing standing impacts entry to FCC-authorized radio frequencies used for command-and-control hyperlinks and video transmission.
If DJI merchandise are added to the Lined Listing routinely as a result of an incomplete audit, they may lose the power to function legally on sure federally regulated radio bands in america. This might prohibit or forestall operation of many future or present DJI fashions, notably in skilled and enterprise contexts the place FCC-authorized spectrum is required for dependable hyperlinks. The outcome could also be a sensible ban on using many DJI plane in government-funded applications, public security businesses, and business sectors reliant on FCC-compliant operations.
DJI: Evaluate Has Not But Begun
Within the letters despatched to a number of businesses, DJI states that it has contacted federal management on a number of earlier events, first in March 2025, then once more in June 2025, providing to assist the evaluate, present information, and make inside technical info out there. DJI asserts that these provides “have gone unanswered” and that “public studies counsel that this audit has not but commenced.”
The corporate argues that failure to conduct the evaluate runs counter to Congressional intent and will lead to “widespread shopper confusion” if DJI merchandise are added to the Lined Listing by default slightly than by a accomplished evaluation.
Emphasis on Cooperation and Prior Evaluations
Throughout the letters, DJI reiterates its willingness to cooperate with any of the designated businesses and highlights previous third-party and authorities safety evaluations. The corporate cites earlier technical assessments performed by Booz Allen Hamilton, FTI Consulting, Kivu Consulting, TÜV SÜD, the U.S. Division of the Inside, and the Idaho Nationwide Laboratory.
DJI states that these assessments had been based mostly on off-the-shelf purchases of its methods and included detailed evaluation of knowledge safety practices and firmware habits. The corporate notes that it addressed findings as wanted and would do the identical throughout any official federal evaluate.
Safety Certifications and Knowledge-Management Options
DJI’s letters cite a variety of cybersecurity certifications held by its merchandise, together with ISO 27001, ISO 27701, NIST FIPS 140-2 CMVP Degree 1, SOC 2, and compliance with NIST IR 8259 and ETSI EN 303645 requirements.
The corporate additionally describes options that permit customers to manage information circulate, together with Native Knowledge Mode, offline operation, and the choice to make use of third-party flight purposes. DJI emphasizes that U.S. customers can not sync flight logs to DJI servers with out opting into the function.
Public Security Issues and Business Response
DJI’s letter to DHS notes that greater than 80% of public security and emergency response businesses that function drone applications depend on DJI plane. The corporate warns that computerized placement on the Lined Listing might disrupt these applications and hinder entry to cost-efficient instruments utilized in emergency response.
Past public security businesses, many drone companies suppliers have publicly opposed broad bans on DJI methods. Business teams have repeatedly acknowledged that out there U.S.-manufactured options don’t but match DJI’s efficiency, worth vary, or mannequin variety. Service suppliers argue that sudden restrictions might improve working prices, restrict capabilities, and sluggish the expansion of business drone operations throughout a number of sectors.
Whereas an official ban has not but been enacted, the sensible results of the NDAA language are already evident. DJI didn’t launch two of essentially the most lately launched skilled drone fashions within the US, and customers report merchandise are more durable to acquire.
DJI: Assured Merchandise Will Face up to Scrutiny
The letters state that DJI believes the mandated evaluate will affirm the safety of its know-how. DJI notes that it “stands able to work” with federal officers and that the American public, together with those that depend on DJI drones for skilled or neighborhood security functions, “deserve solutions in regards to the security and safety of the DJI merchandise they use every single day.”
Within the letter to DHS, Adam Welsh writes:
We stand behind the safety of our know-how, and are eager to satisfy with you and make sure that this Congressionally-mandated safety evaluate takes place as quickly as attainable so you possibly can fulfill your dedication to hold out a good and well timed evaluate. My group and I can be found at any time to supply info that could be useful.
The American individuals, together with those that use DJI drones for his or her jobs,8 for his or her livelihoods, or for guaranteeing the protection and safety of our communities, deserve no much less.
What Occurs Subsequent
As of this writing, no U.S. company has publicly confirmed whether or not the Part 1709 evaluate has begun. If the audit shouldn’t be accomplished by December 23, 2025, DJI merchandise can be routinely added to the FCC Lined Listing, initiating procurement restrictions and doubtlessly limiting entry to FCC-regulated spectrum wanted for drone operations.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone house and is a world speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand spanking new applied sciences.
For drone business consulting or writing, Electronic mail Miriam.
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