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DroneXL covers drone news, reviews, and rumors.

01/05/2026

RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Watched Maduro’s Fall In Venezuela by Rafael Suárez Some drones announce themselves with noise, blinking lights, and shaky cellphone footage, others arrive like a thought you did not know you were having, quiet, inevitable, already there before you noticed. Last night over Venezuela, the RQ-170 Sentinel belonged firmly to the second category. Photo credit: USAF via FOIA At least one, and possibly two, of the U.S. Air Force’s most secretive drones were airborne during the operation that led to the capture of the “president” Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Seeing the RQ-170 connected to a real world mission is rare, almost mythical, but if there was ever a […] Martin Korea

Some drones announce themselves with noise, blinking lights, and shaky cellphone footage, others arrive like a thought you did not know you were having,

01/05/2026

DJI Mini 5 Pro Prop Guards Hands-On: The Firmware Restrictions Nobody Mentioned by Shawn Air Photography I was genuinely excited when these 360° prop guards for the DJI Mini 5 Pro finally became available. After testing them extensively, I can tell you they’re unlike anything DJI has released before – but not entirely in the ways you might expect. Here’s what you need to know upfront: What: DJI’s new quick-release 360° prop guards with integrated propellers Price: $39 for four prop guards with built-in props Availability: DJI website (currently out of stock in Canada), Amazon Why it matters: Firmware-enforced restrictions limit distance to 500m, height to 120m, and trigger early return-to-home The full details come from […] Photography Mini 5 Neo

I was genuinely excited when these 360° prop guards for the DJI Mini 5 Pro finally became available. After testing them extensively, I can tell you they're

01/04/2026

Shahed Drones Now Shoot Back: Russia Arms Kamikaze With MANPADS by Haye Kesteloo We have been tracking the evolution of Russia’s Shahed drones since at least the invasion of Ukraine, and the latest development is the most significant tactical shift yet. Just five weeks after they strapped an R-60 air-to-air missile to a Shahed, they’ve done it again, this time with a MANPADS. This isn’t experimentation anymore. This is a systematic program to turn a $20,000 kamikaze drone into an air defense platform, and it means Ukraine’s helicopter pilots are now hunting drones that can hunt them back. What: For the first time, a Russian Shahed drone has been found equipped with a […]

We have been tracking the evolution of Russia's Shahed drones since at least the invasion of Ukraine, and the latest development is the most significant

01/04/2026

Chip War Author: FCC Ban Succeeds Where Trump Tariffs Failed Against DJI by Haye Kesteloo It was clear that Trump’s tariffs were never going to stop DJI. Now one of the most influential voices in US-China tech competition is making the same argument in the Financial Times. Chris Miller, author of the Pulitzer Prize-finalist book “Chip War” that shaped Washington’s semiconductor policy, published an opinion piece this weekend analyzing why the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ban on foreign drones represents a more effective trade enforcement tool than the tariffs that came before it. His analysis validates what we have been reporting at DroneXL for over a year: DJI simply moved production to Malaysia when Trump’s […] Companies Industry States

It was clear that Trump’s tariffs were never going to stop DJI. Now one of the most influential voices in US-China tech competition is making the same

01/04/2026

St. Cloud DFR’s 200 Flights Prove BVLOS Works, But at What Cost? by Haye Kesteloo I’ve been tracking Florida’s disastrous DJI drone ban for over a year, and the bill is finally coming due. When we first reported on St. Cloud’s $890,000 Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program last month, the story was about the exorbitant cost of compliance. Now, new data shows the program is an operational success, proving the DFR model works. But it also validates our biggest fear: Florida taxpayers are paying a massive premium for public safety. What: The St. Cloud Police Department’s Skydio-based DFR program has successfully completed nearly 200 deployments in its first two months of operation. Who: […] Enterprise

I’ve been tracking Florida’s disastrous DJI drone ban for over a year, and the bill is finally coming due. When we first reported on St. Cloud’s $890,000

01/04/2026

FCC Chair Brendan Carr Takes Victory Lap at CES: The Stage Where DJI Built America's Drone Culture by Haye Kesteloo Two weeks ago, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signed the order that effectively killed DJI’s future in America. On Thursday, he’ll take the stage at CES 2026, the very show where DJI spent a decade building its brand, for a “fireside chat” that’s been carefully designed to avoid the questions drone pilots actually need answered, reports Mashable. The irony is thick enough to cut with a propeller. What: “Fireside Chat” with FCC Chair Brendan Carr and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson When: Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM PT Where: CES 2026, Las Vegas Interviewer: Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer […] A1 Update States

Two weeks ago, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signed the order that effectively killed DJI's future in America. On Thursday, he'll take the stage at CES 2026, the

01/04/2026

DJI Matrice Drone Used in Campbellsville Missing Person Search by Rafael Suárez A missing man in Campbellsville, Kentucky, was located safely Thursday night after a coordinated multi agency search that included UAV drone operations, ground teams, and emergency alerts. Campbellsville Fire Rescue confirmed the subject was found less than a quarter mile from his last known location and transported for medical evaluation with non life threatening injuries, as WVLC reported. Early Dementia Triggers Golden Alert Response Fire Rescue units were dispatched to a residence on Meador Street following a report of a possible missing person. Upon arrival, command staff interviewed the reporting party and began an immediate search based on cell phone […] Matrice 4 and Rescue States

A missing man in Campbellsville, Kentucky, was located safely Thursday night after a coordinated multi agency search that included UAV drone operations,

01/04/2026

Meet the UAVs Used at the US Department of War’s “Drone School” by Rafael Suárez When people hear “drone school,” they often imagine a room full of soldiers flying quadcopters into walls like it’s their first time with a PlayStation controller. The reality is far more serious, far more technical, and considerably more expensive. The US Department of War runs the Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems University at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The goal is not to turn service members into aerial photographers, but into professionals who can detect, identify, track, and neutralize hostile drones before those drones ruin someone’s very bad day, as reported by Aerospace Globlal News. Students at JCU train on more […] Neo Systems Drones

When people hear “drone school,” they often imagine a room full of soldiers flying quadcopters into walls like it’s their first time with a PlayStation

01/04/2026

Wichita Police Drone Tracks Circle K Robbery Suspect by Rafael Suárez Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing a decisive role in locating and capturing the suspect, as reported by KWCH 12 News. Officers were dispatched at 5:20 a.m. to the Circle K located at 1254 S. Tyler in southwest Wichita after an employee reported an armed robbery. According to police, the suspect entered the store with a handgun, demanded cash from the register, and fled westbound on a bicycle after receiving the money. Within minutes, officers located a crashed […] as First Responder drone Drones

Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing

01/04/2026

Police Test Autonomous DFR Drones in Grand Chute by Rafael Suárez Autonomous drones are no longer a future promise for law enforcement. In Grand Chute, Wisconsin, police are already letting software and sensors arrive before squad cars. Since April 2025, the Grand Chute Police Department has been running a pilot drone as a first responder program, collecting real world data on how autonomous aircraft can support everyday policing. The objective is straightforward. Get eyes on a scene faster, reduce uncertainty, and give officers better information before they arrive. The drone does not replace police officers. It replaces guesswork. How Grand Chute’s DFR Program Works Grand Chute’s system comes from Houston based […] Drones drone Drones States

Autonomous drones are no longer a future promise for law enforcement. In Grand Chute, Wisconsin, police are already letting software and sensors arrive before

01/04/2026

Luke Maximo Bell’s Peregreen V4 goes 408 mph, New Guinness "Fastest Drone" Record Holder by Zachary Peery Luke Maximo Bell’s team has reclaimed the record of making the “World’s Fastest Drone”, for the fourth time! In a new Peregreen V4 build video, Bell documents what changed after Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs took the crown with a 626 km/h (about 389 mph) run, and how the Bell team responded with a full redesign focused on reliability, drag reduction, and repeatable speed runs. Guinness World Records now lists the fastest ground speed by a battery-powered RC quadcopter at 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph), achieved by Luke Bell and Mike Bell in Cape Town, South Africa, on December 11th, 2025. […] Africa

Luke Maximo Bell's team has reclaimed the record of making the "World's Fastest Drone", for the fourth time! In a new Peregreen V4 build video, Bell documents

01/03/2026

How UC Santa Cruz Is Using Drones to Help Communities Read Air Quality Before It's Too Late by Zachary Peery If you live in a community that gets hammered by wildfire smoke, agricultural drift, or industrial emissions, “check the air quality” can be easy advice to give and hard advice to follow. The closest official monitor might be miles away, and the conditions can change street by street. If the only way to see the data is an online dashboard that assumes a stable internet connection, the people who need the information most can be the least able to access it. That is the gap a UC Santa Cruz research effort is trying to close in California’s Pajaro Valley and […] States

If you live in a community that gets hammered by wildfire smoke, agricultural drift, or industrial emissions, “check the air quality” can be easy advice to

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Welcome to DroneXL. We bring you all the latest drone news, reviews and rumors, covering drone manufacturers such as DJI, Skydio, Autel Robotics, Yuneec, Parrot and many others. If you would like to stay on top of the drone news, be sure to like and follow us here or on dronexl.co.

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DroneXL brings you drone news, review and rumors.