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Background: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-produced drones, including DJI, to its Covered List following a national security determination by the Department of War under the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Covered List is an official catalog of equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the safety of U.S. persons.
Since March 2026, Civil Air Patrol has been transitioning away from small, uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) not listed on The Blue List (non-blue). Federal law requires this change; it is not a judgment on the equipment or on the units and donors who acquired it. CAP prohibits any federal connection for non-blue systems: no federal funds may support their maintenance, supplies, or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registration, and they cannot be used on federal land, at federal facilities, or on any mission where CAP serves as the Department of the Air Force Auxiliary.
Donated or corporate-funded systems can remain in service until 30 September 2027, but only for corporate missions. The wing assumes full financial responsibility, including FAA registration. Using a retained system on a federal mission would violate the Cooperative Agreement between CAP and the U.S. Air Force, so use must be limited to corporate missions. Wing commanders and Directors of Operations (DOs) should inventory their current non-blue systems, categorize them, and plan for the costs of any systems they intend to keep.
This is not a step back from CAP’s sUAS mission. Civil Air Patrol is investing in a modern, compliant fleet, and just authorized the purchase of 29 new rotary mission systems and will continue to expedite acquisition.
We know this raises detailed questions that depend on your role and systems. A full set of answers is available in the Frequently Asked Questions document.
If you have any questions, please contact do@capnhq.gov.
Thank you for your continued dedication to Civil Air Patrol and its sUAS mission.
Major General Regena M. Aye, CAP
CEO/National Commander
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